Hooped
by techtchr
Summary: Trapped with Teal'c and Cam on a war-torn world, Daniel and Vala face their greatest fears. Based on an alternate ending to season 10 episode "Bad Guys." Some canon D/V ship.
1. Captured

_Once we start posing as kidnappers, there's no turning back. And if we get captured, we are hooped! -- Daniel, in "Bad Guys"  
_

**Hooped **

Daniel turned around cautiously, keeping his hands raised, to face the leader of the soldiers surrounding SG-1. "Look, we never wanted to hurt anybody. We just want to go home, okay? And that ring is how we do that. Please just let us leave. All we have to do is walk through that." He gestured in the direction of the Stargate, its shimmering event horizon so tantalizingly close. "Once we're gone, it will shut down and no one will be harmed, I promise."

Quartus' eyes hardened. "I'm afraid I can't allow that." _The Viceroy needs a very public victory over the rebels, and that won't happen if you escape._

"Oh crap," Cam burst out. "Look, we all know what you're going through! We-We've all been there. Hell, when I first heard there were alien worlds and races out there, I…freaked…out. I was afraid. Afraid of how advanced they might be. Afraid of what their intentions were. Afraid they might come to my world and kill me. And I'll be honest with you, there are worlds and races out there who do mean you and your people harm, but we're not one of 'em, and you're lucky you ran into us before you ran into them. Now, I will admit that our first contact was not ideal. In fact, it could well be our worst," he acknowledged, with a glance toward Daniel.

Daniel made a face, and guestured in a manner that suggested _he'd_ had worse. Teal'c bowed his head slightly in agreement.

Cam continued calmly, "But you do not want your first foray into interplanetary relations to be a violent one." He walked slowly but deliberately toward Quartus, keeping his hands raised. He allowed a hint of a threat to creep into his voice. "We're a peaceful people, but we do not take acts of aggression lying down. So you let us walk through that ring, and when and how we meet again, will be under your control. Prevent us from leaving, and it won't be," Cam concluded, locking Quartus in a penetrating stare.

Cicero could contain himself no longer. "Please, Quartus. This is the future of our people," he begged.

Quartus sighed, and then turned to his soldiers keeping SG-1 at bay. "Lower your weapons."

"Thank you," Mitchell said with barely-disguised relief. Carefully, to avoid giving the appearance of pulling out a weapon, he took out his radio and prepared to contact Landry.

Then, the wormhole blinked out. The sudden absence of its brilliant glow left the alcove surprisingly dark.

Several of the soldiers jumped in surprise. Weapons that had been pointing downward were refocused on the members of SG-1. As Daniel's eyes adjusted, he noted that Quartus' expression had become decidedly hostile.

"What happened?" Quartus demanded.

"The gate closes by itself if nothing is sent through," Vala replied with a nonchalant toss of her head, "and you delayed us long enough for it to shut down."

"Can you start it up again?" Cicero asked eagerly. The researcher looked ready to step through the gate himself.

"No, we can't, not without another power source," Vala responded, tartly. "As I said before, dialing the gate has depleted the naquadah core in the bomb. I don't suppose that you have another one of these lying around your lovely museum?"

"That's not our only option," Cam interjected. _Quartus is getting twitchy – he's going to lock us up, if we don't off-world real soon,_ he thought_._ "Our people on the other side are prepared to send through dialing equipment in just this sort of situation. When we don't contact them, they'll call us, and we can let them know what we need."

"Why can't you just leave when your people, as you say, "dial the gate," without sending any equipment?" Quartus asked in a suspicious tone.

"The connection only goes one way at a time," Cam answered. "We can only leave if we initiate the connection from our end. So, they send us the equipment, and _then_ we leave," he finished, giving Quartus an expectant look.

Quartus gestured to his soldiers. "Take them." The soldiers swarmed towards the members of SG-1.

"You're making a mistake!" Cam objected, as soldiers stripped off his vest and cuffed his hands behind his back. The other members of SG-1 were similarly treated.

Cicero was sputtering frantically. "Wait -- don't – you can't – Quartus, please!"

Quartus glared at the researcher. "My priority is to bring the rebellion to an end as soon as possible. I cannot take a chance on supposedly 'peaceful explorers' bringing a weapon here."

"They're not going to send a weapon, just a power source and a dialing program!" Cam protested, as two soldiers grabbed his arms and begin dragging him down the hall. Quartus ignored him, turning to the nearest soldier.

"Keep a contingent of men here, and watch that carefully," he ordered, pointing toward the gate. "Destroy anything – or anyone – who comes through the ring."

Cicero was stunned. "I want to talk to the Viceroy!"

"You overestimate your position," Quartus replied. He turned to one of the remaining soldiers. "Take this man into custody as well. He is their accomplice."

"What? No!" Cicero cried out, uselessly, as the soldier grabbed him.

The guards forced SG-1 down the hall towards an open door. Daniel glimpsed a waiting vehicle beyond. He glanced over his shoulder at Cam, who was to his right and slightly behind him.

"Yeah, I know," Cam said, before Daniel had a chance to get off his _I told you so. _"We're _so_ hooped."

* * *

A/N: About half the dialog in this chapter comes directly from the S10 episode "Bad Guys."


	2. Prisoners

**Prisoners**

Deep inside the maximum security prison, the night guard supervisor radioed the head guard for cell block 16. "I just got a call from Council Security. We've got special prisoners arriving – four of them."

"The rebels from the museum?" asked the guard.

"Who they are is classified," the supervisor snapped. "Our orders are to initiate a full-lock down of all levels."

"Yes, sir!" the guard replied, and then hurried to spread the message to the other guards in his block. Within moments, the halls of the vast prison were empty. There were no observers when a squad of black-garbed soldiers burst into the entry hall in pairs, each dragging a prisoner between them. The prisoners were handcuffed and draped in black hoods that covered their heads and shoulders. The soldiers swept them past the intake area, where arriving prisoners were typically identified and searched. Instead, the soldiers delivered their charges directly to four solitary isolation cells, each in a separate block of the prison.

"Well, this is no fun," Daniel announced to the darkness. His hood and cuffs had been removed in the hall, but his eyes had not yet made the adjustment to the change in light level before he had been roughly shoved into the total blackness of his cell. At least with the hood, there had been a little bit of light that filtered around the edges and through the fabric. He suspected that the darkness was the first step in the inevitable interrogation of the team, designed to break down their will to resist.

Without sight, he was reduced to using his hands to explore the cell. He found that the cell seemed comparatively humane, with a metal sink, toilet, and bunk. After exploring every section that he could reach, he made his way over to the bunk and laid down. To his surprise, he began trembling slightly, as his body sought release of the tension of the past several hours. The trembling passed after a few minutes, only to be replaced by an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.

_Probably a lingering effect of that stun weapon_, he thought. _I should try to rest, if I can. I would be better prepared to handle whatever happens next. _But he found it difficult, as his thoughts turned to the other members of the team. Were they nearby? Were they all right?

The last he'd seen of Vala, before the hood was pulled down over his eyes, she was resisting a soldier's attempt to put a hood on her. She had tossed her head, given the guard one of her most fetching smiles, and protested, "I'm much better looking without it." The soldier had hesitated a moment before a sharp word from his superior forced him to carry out his orders and put the hood on her. Daniel smiled briefly at the memory. But he knew that the confident and capable Vala he'd met on the Promethus could also be frightened and vulnerable. There was an ache in his chest at the thought of her alone in a prison.

As Daniel closed his eyes and attempted to rest, Vala was wide awake in a distant part of the capital city. She was sitting in an isolation cell deep inside a women's prison, considering a variety of options for escape. Like the men, she had been relieved of just her tac vest and her obvious weapons, but had not yet been searched. This left a small yet useful assortment of tools hidden about her person. No prison would hold Vala Mal Doran for very long.

* * *

For the first hour or so after the arrest of the aliens, Jayem Seran -- night security guard second class, and (at least in his own mind) national hero -- strutted back and forth across the museum alcove that held the Stargate. He had appointed himself the job of supervising the troops guarding it against further invasion. After all, he had first-hand experience in dealing with aliens. But he had started to tire, and so was now perched on the top of the faux stone steps that led to the giant ring.

Suddenly, he heard a scraping sound behind him. He turned around slowly, startled to see that the inner section of the ring had begun spinning. The ring stopped, and a light appeared on one of the chevrons on the outer ring. Then the spinning started again.

Jayem got up and started backing away from the ring, one step at a time, never taking his eyes off it. Behind him, the soldiers trained their weapons on the ring. Jayem was in the line of fire.

"Get out of the way, you idiot!" called their commanding officer.

"Don't be afraid," Jayem called to the guards. "I've seen this before. Nothing happens until all of those things light up."

At that moment, the last chevron lit, and the vortex roared out towards the stunned guards. Jayem stumbled backwards and fell the rest of the way down the steps, narrowly avoiding disintegration. From his undignified position, he found himself staring up at the gate, and was momentarily transfixed by the bright, shimmering pool in the center of the ring. Then he remembered himself, and pulled out his own handgun, aiming at the pool as best he could with his shaking hand. Several minutes passed, but no one came through the ring.

In the headquarters of the Council Security Command, just a few miles from the museum, SG-1's equipment was spread out on a table. The MALP was sitting in the corner, and a couple of scientists were busy trying to determine the functions of its various components. Both men jumped with surprise as the the SG-1 team's radios burst to life.

"This is General Landry. SG-1, you're overdue for your check-in. Please report."

The older of the two men grabbed a recording device and pointed it at the table containing the pile of alien gear. The younger man simply stared at the table, frozen in shock.

"SG-1, please report," came the request again.

_What should we do? _the younger scientist mouthed to the other. His co-worker shrugged helplessly.

"Colonel Mitchell, can you respond?" Landry's voice could be heard in stereo through the four radios. "Doctor Jackson . . . Vala . . . Teal'c? If one of you can hear me, please respond."

A few minutes passed with no further messages. Then, the camera on the alien probe sprang to life, panning the room slowly. The two scientists kept out of its way as it turned, staying silent and avoiding the lens. After a few sweeps of the room, the camera stilled.

"I was afraid it was some sort of weapon," the younger scientist whispered. Then he laughed nervously. "I thought it was going to blast us, or something."

"It still could," the elder replied. "We can't think it's safe just because it didn't destroy us immediately. We'd better report this to Quartus.

Back at the museum, the soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief as the gate shut down. As far as they knew, nothing had happened.

* * *

"Honored Viceroy, I apologize for the lateness of the hour," Quartus said, with a deep bow.

"Your news is urgent. Please proceed," answered the imposing man known as Marcus Pinarius Augustus, Viceroy of Gallia Nova. With his dark curling hair, piercing eyes, and classic Roman nose, he could have substituted as a model for the portrait of an ancient Caesar. He gestured to a seat in front of his elegant desk.

Quartus sat across from the Viceroy, and began his report. "The members of the group that broke into the museum have been taken to our most secure prisons. The woman is in a separate woman's prison, and the men are in separate isolation cells to reduce the opportunity for a joint escape. And, as you ordered, knowledge of their presence is being kept completely secret. We have detained all of the former hostages and are debriefing them right now."

"Excellent," the Viceroy said, with a thin smile. "It has been too long since I enjoyed a victory over the Circle of Heaven."

The Viceroy's pleasure was cut short by the sound of running feet. An aide rushed into the room.

"Your pardon, Viceroy!" he said, breathlessly. "I have an important message for Chief Negotiator Quartus." The aide turned to Quartus. "This is from the scientific team examining the equipment recovered from the museum." He handed a sealed envelope to the officer.

Quartus quickly opened the envelope and skimmed the note.

"Dispatch an additional contingent of guards to the museum, immediately," he ordered the aide. "And begin making arrangements to move that ring to somewhere more secure."

* * *

A/N: Killer mushroom, Blessington, Kentkawes, thanks for the reviews! And thanks to those who put this story on alert, as well.

le59: This is one of my favorite episodes just because it had a touch of fun that reminded me of the early seasons. But after examining the dialog and visuals to better understand the world of Quartus and the rebels, the fic itself is has to be a bit dark. I'll put in humor where I can.

acer-signma: I love it when the SGC shows up in force and whumps the villians, like in the opening scene of Forever in a Day.


	3. Questions

**Questions**

"Sergeant Harriman, get Colonel Reynolds and Major Altman up here," Landry ordered. "I want them to have a look at this. Get Dr. Lee, too."

A few minutes later, the leaders of SG-3 and SG-5 joined Landry in the control room, along with the SGC's specialist on alien technology.

"OK, Walter, let's have a replay of that video," Landry ordered. "Gentlemen, this is a recording of the video feed from a MALP that's supposed to be in a temple on P4M-328," he explained, as the replay appeared on one of the monitors. "SG-1 gated there over six hours ago, and have just missed their check-in. They're not responding to our radio hails."

"Well, it's clear that the MALP is no longer in a temple," Dr. Lee offered. "It appears to be in a modern lab of some sort, possibly . . ."

"There, stop playback," Landry interrupted.

"Yeah, I see it too," said Reynolds. "That's got to be SGC gear on that table. Looks like radios, vests, weapons. Damn."

"Okay, so our people are without their gear, and they may have been captured," Landry said, stating the obvious. "But we don't know where they are, or who's got them."

"Not a Goa'uld or the Ori; they wouldn't be taking the time to study our equipment," Dr. Lee suggested. "Either they've seen it before, or theirs is superior to ours. And the Jaffa don't have much of a scientific community. It could be a totally alien race. Judging from the non-SGC equipment in the room, I'd guess that, whoever they are, their technology level is roughly equivalent to that of Earth."

"Well, let's hope that they haven't yet developed the ability to travel off-world," Landry replied. "It'll make things easier if our people are still on that planet.

"Do you want us to prepare a rescue mission, sir?" Reynolds asked, with a glance at Altman.

"Yes. Get your teams briefed and ready to go," Landry answered. "But you may not be going through the gate. I don't want to send you into an ambush or start an unnecessary fight. We're going to keep trying to contact SG-1 by radio every hour. Maybe we can raise them or get whoever has them to talk to us. But in the meantime, it looks like I get the pleasure of a call to the IOA. I'll give them the heads-up that we may need the Odyssey. The last I heard, it was being taken apart by the scientists in Nevada."

"What are they doing to it, sir?" Altman asked.

"Trying to reverse engineer Jackson's cloaking device. Hopefully they haven't got it so far apart that it will take a couple of months to get it back together." Landry sighed. "Walter, would you contact Lt. Colonel Carter? She's still in Washington, and this is her team. If there's a need for a rescue mission, she's going to want to be part of it."

* * *

Daniel woke with a start. It took him a moment to remember where he was – a prison cell on P4M-328. He wondered what the locals called the place. His watch had been taken, and he was in still total darkness, so he had no idea how much time had passed. But he realized that the time for the check-in must have passed by now. Landry would have dialed in and tried to establish radio contact. He wondered when they were going to get around to the inevitable interrogation. _Probably not a good thing to dwell on_, he thought.

The situation reminded him uncomfortably of Bedrosia, where SG-1 had been trapped when they couldn't find a DHD. They had been captured and locked electrically-charged cages because their arrival through the Stargate threatened the Bedrosian's justification for war with a neighboring continent. _Or is is going to be more like Euronda, with us on the wrong side of a civil war? __Or it could turn out like Tegalus, _he thought, with a stab of regret. SG-1's arrival had set in motion of chain of events that led to the loss of the Prometheus along with half the crew -- as well as the apparent death of everyone on the planet. _Now I've got one more potential disaster to add to the list, and I don't even know the name of this place!"_

Okay, that train of thought wasn't helpful. While he could learn from the past, he couldn't dwell in it. This was a new situation. _Like Jack would say, what do we need, and what do we have?_ What he needed was to understand the situation, and what he had was just a few clues.

Like a true linguist, Daniel started with their names. Some of the names he had heard were Latin, like Cicero and Quartus. But Lourdes, what was that? French? The Romans had occupied that area of Europe – Gaul, they had called it. If these people had come from Rome via Gaul, say in the 3rd or 4th century, it would explain the ethnic diversity he'd seen in the people at the museum. The Roman world had included numerous people groups. Is this what Roman society would have become, if the empire had never fallen apart, and the medieval period never happened? He'd have to know more about their history to come to any definitive conclusions.

As for their government, with the information he had, he couldn't tell if it was a democracy or not. The Chancellor they'd unintentionally taken hostage had said something about "the Viceroy and all the other Chancellors escaping." Well, 'Viceroy' was a French title, referring to one who ruled as the representative of the king – another clue that suggested a Gallic origin. Could the Viceroy be a holdover from the time when a Goa'uld ruled here? The museum certainly had plenty of Goa'uld relics. He'd even seen full sets of Jaffa armor representing several different system lords. That was another mystery that he didn't have enough information to solve. The Chancellor's comments about the rebels had been strange, too. "_You think you'll be heroes . . . the people will rise up and follow your lead . . . ."_ Just how much popular support did this rebellion have? Daniel found himself with lots of questions, but few answers.

His contemplation was interrupted when the door to his cell abruptly opened. The sudden light was as blinding as the total darkness had been.

"On your feet," a guard ordered. Daniel was roughly hooded and cuffed again, and dragged out of the cell.

_Here we go,_ he thought grimly.

* * *

While Daniel's interrogation was just beginning, Cam had already endured what seemed like hours of it. He was sitting in the middle of a concrete room, handcuffed. Facing him was a table where three interrogators were taking turns asking him questions.

"What is your name?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell."

"Where are you from?"

"A planet called Earth," he answered, knowing that the name meant nothing to them.

"How did you get into the museum?"

"Through the ring. We call it a Stargate. It lets you travel between planets."

Cam answered question after question. "We're peaceful explorers . . . . We sent the probe, and it looked like the gate was in an abandoned temple . . . You'd be surprised how many gates we've found out there. They're all over the place. . . . No, we didn't know that your gate was in a museum . . . . No, we didn't mean to take hostages . . . . No, we don't know anything about your rebellion."

"Tell us about the cache of weapons you were seeking."

This was the part where Cam lied a little bit. "We were looking for a bomb, and we found it. But since you didn't have a real dialing device, we had to use the bomb to power the gate instead." He gave them an indignant look, as though the lack of a dialing device was their fault. "It was a tough choice: be stuck here with the bomb, or use it to power the gate and get the heck out of Dodge. And now its energy is depleted, so it's completely useless. We can't even dial the gate again."

But no matter how many answers Cam gave, the questions had kept coming. When the interrogators ran out of questions, they had started over again. He recognized this as a technique designed to wear down his resistance, and determined to beat it.

And then, a new interrogator came into the room, and a new question was added to their repertoire.

"What will your people do if you don't return?"

Though the sensory deprivation had completely befuddled his sense of time, he knew their scheduled check-in must have passed a long time ago. Landry had certainly dialed in by this point, probably more than once. Cam considered his options. Truth, lie, or half-truth? He decided the best option was a half-truth: tell them what they already knew to be true, or could easily discover, but keep back the critical information.

"When we don't return, they'll dial in to your gate, and attempt radio contact. If we don't respond to the initial contact, they'll try calling us again at regular intervals. They will also activate the probe that we sent through. It has audio and visual feeds, so they could use it to check on us, if we were still within sight of the gate."

"But nothing else? Wouldn't they send someone to rescue you?"

_ They'll send the Odyssey and beam us right off your stinking planet, _he thought, but he was definitely not going to tell them that. The implanted locator chips were their "get out of jail free" ticket. But if the MALP showed that the coast was clear, Landry might well send a rescue team, and he didn't want them getting shot up. So he lied.

"No. They'll forget about us like yesterday's garbage if we don't respond," he said. "We've lost a lot of personnel this way, and it's an expected hazard of the job."

"You're lying!" the interrogator shouted. He stalked across the room, grabbed Cam by the shirt and shook him, and then slapped him hard across the face. Cam saw the blow coming, and rolled with it, but it still stung. "Jackson has already told us that your people will send a search party if you don't make contact."

_Jackson told you that? The same Jackson who didn't break even when he was beaten and electrocuted in Honduras? I don't think so!_ Cam glared back defiantly."He wouldn't tell you that, because it's not true."

"It is true, and you're lying," the man shouted in his face. "Now we can't trust anything you've said, and we're going to have to start all over again."

And so they asked the same questions they'd asked him before. And then they asked him again. The interrogators changed, but the questions never did. Neither did his answers.

A long time later, when he was so exhausted he could barely walk, Cam was dragged back to his cell. Left in the darkness, he worried about the treatment the others are getting._ Daniel and Teal'c can take this, they're tough. They've both been through worse_. And then a chill swept through him, as he remembered the Jaffa's need for tretonin. When would he need his next dose? Would they even give it to him? And he hoped – he prayed – that they weren't mistreating Vala. She had been through too much already. And he had the scar to prove it.

Cam would have been relieved to know that while Vala had indeed been questioned, she'd received better treatment than he had. Her status as a woman had something to do with it: so did her looks and flirtatious manner. It also helped that whenever they asked her a question, she responded with a smile and the longest possible explanation, such as --

"Are you asking where I am from most recently? Or where I was born? I'm most recently from Earth, of course. I already told you so. But before that, I spent some time in a completely different galaxy. Terrible place, full of people with a fixation on fire and absolutely no sense of humor. But that was just a little transportation accident. And before that I visited a lot of planets. Did I tell you that I was actually worshiped as a goddess on . . ."

But despite her long-winded answers, Vala gave her interrogators no more useful information than her teammates did.

* * *

There was one prisoner that Mitchell had forgotten. Cicero was huddled in a cell, miserable and frightened. Unlike the others, his cell had light, and he'd been given both food and water. But he was in shock at his situation.

On the one hand, he was furious at Quartus. "How could he do this to me?" he asked himself aloud. "He knows who I am! Overestimate my position? I'm part of the ruling family! He's throwing away our chance to make peaceful contact with the people of another world. He's going to start a war we can't win!"

At the same time, there was a nagging fear inside him. _You were a fool for trying to help the aliens,_ the fear said._ Of course Quartus thought you'd conspired with them. He knows the Viceroy just tolerates you he's married to your sister. Your views are an embarrassment to the family. You'd have been thrown out of the museum years ago except for your connections." _No interrogation could have tormented Cicero more effectively than his own thoughts. He realized with growing horror that if the Viceroy decided to cover this up, he might well decide to get rid of his annoying brother-in-law, permanently.

* * *

Not far from the prison, two men met in the shadows of an alley.

"What have you got?" the first man asked softly.

"Four special prisoners arrived today," whispered the second man, a prison guard. "One is the brother-in-law of the Viceroy. I don't know who the others are, but they're getting the first-rate treatment, if you know what I mean. They're in different blocks, though, so they're going to be hard to reach."

"Good work," the first man replied, gripping the guard's hand. Then he thought for a moment. "Are you scheduled to work the night shift again tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Find a reason to stay home."

* * *

A/N:

Khentkawes: here's some backstory on the planet for you -- as you guessed, they are Roman in origin.

acer-sigma: very astute observations! There's some Cam in this chapter, but it'll take awhile for me to get back to Teal'c. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about him -- but this will mostly be a Daniel and Vala fic.

likestar, wings90 & enajnitram: thanks for the reviews! I hope that this fic doesn't disappoint!


	4. Answers

**Answers**

In a spacious conference room overlooking the city, the ranking members of the Federal Security Council held an emergency meeting. It had been early evening when SG-1 had gated into to the museum, and near midnight when they had been captured. The investigation had continued all night. Now it was morning, and the sunlight streamed in through the large windows covering the outer wall.

"Gentlemen, I think you all know Lourdes Maylay," Quartus said, gesturing towards the security officer. "He had the initial contact with these aliens and has been heading up the team conducting the investigation into the events of last night."

Lourdes tacked an individual, life-size picture of each member of SG-1 to one of the walls. The photos showed each member of the team still dressed in their green BDUs, arms at their sides, lying on an examining table and looking straight up at the camera. The men's expressions were grim, but the woman was smiling brightly.

"Medical examinations suggest that their physiology is identical to ours, despite their claim to have come from another world," he began. "In addition to the medical exams, we have had teams of interrogators questioning them all night. We have cross-referenced their statements against each other and against statements taken from witnesses at the museum."

Lourdes moved to stand near the first picture in the row. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell. 'Lieutenant Colonel' is a military rank, and he is the only one of the group to claim such a title. The other two names are a personal name and a family name, which suggests that he has full citizenship in his native land. He identified himself as the leader of the group, although the witnesses suggested that the group functions more a set of peers than a military unit."

"Now, the next man's name is Doctor Daniel Jackson. He bears a strong resemblance to Mitchell, and we suspect they may be related, though they've denied it. Notice the similarity in eye color, hair color, height, and build. If they are related, despite the apparent absence of a common family name, we may be able to use this to our advantage during questioning. As you can see, he wears an appliance over his eyes to improve his vision."

"Surprising, for explorers that claim to be from another planet," interjected a senior officer. "You'd think that they'd have more advanced techniques for correcting poor vision."

Lourdes shrugged. "We believe that he functions as the group's negotiator and researcher."

"You don't think Jackson is a medic, given his title?" asked another officer, a heavy-set man with greying hair.

"No, during questioning he said, and I quote, 'I'm not that kind of doctor'."

"Didn't you think he was the group leader during the standoff at the museum?" asked the senior officer.

"Uh, yes," Lourdes replied. After all, he was the one who responded when I asked to speak to the person in charge. It's standard strategy to try to take out the leader in situations like this -- the others often surrender when they loose their leader."

"It was an ill-advised move," Quartus responded, sternly.

Lourdes paled a bit at the remark. Bad things happened to security officers who fell out of favor with Quartus. He hastily turned back to the images on the wall. The next picture was of a large, dark-skinned man. "This man is the only member of the team to go by one name, Teal'c."

"A slave?" the grey-haired officer suggested.

"Possibly." Lourdes replied. "Marius, would you share your findings?" Lourdes asked, gesturing to one of his aides.

At the mention of his name, Marius stepped forward, moving to stand near the picture of Teal'c. At 29, he was quite young to be on the Security Council, but he had moved up the ranks quickly through a combination of intelligence, ambition and total ruthlessness. And it didn't hurt that he was Quartus' protege. Having just recently been promoted again, this was his first opportunity to address a meeting of the leading officers of the Service.

Marius stood to address the assembled officers. "Notice this forehead marking. I believe it may indicate his subservient status within the group. Interviews of the hostages indicate that he said little to the others. Another clue is his uniform, which lacks the green shirt worn by the others. Finally, during the physical examination, we found an unusual scar on his stomach, that none of the others had. The scar was over an extremely deep pocket in the skin. We think it may have served at one time as a hiding place for weapons or stolen items. And of course, there's the matter of having only one name."

"So, have you concluded that he's a slave?" asked Quartus.

"Not yet. He denies it, and the others claim that their society does not permit slavery," replied Marius. "But we may have some additional leverage on this one. He needs regular doses of medication that he was carrying in his vest. So far, we have kept it from him."

"We did find several vials of medication among their effects," Lourdes added. "We've got an expert studying them right now."

Quartus considered this for a moment, then spoke. "Let him have the medicine as he needs it, for now. If he is a slave, good treatment may allow us to turn him against the others. And Marius, excellent work."

"Thank you, sir," Marius replied.

Lourdes stood again. "Finally, we have Vala Mal Doran. Despite being a woman, she functions as the technical specialist. Witnesses at the museum reported that she conducted herself as an equal to the men in the group, even Mitchell. She was even wearing the same uniform as the men. And according to her own testimony, she identified the bomb, extracted it from its case, and modified it to operate the portal. There's one more thing, sir. Apparently, she's had quite an effect on the interrogators. A few of them have volunteered to question her again," added Lourdes.

_Interesting woman,_ Quartus thought. _I may need to meet her myself. _But aloud he said, "Has your investigation yielded any conclusions about their purpose in coming here?"

"There is evidence for three different possibilities." answered Lourdes. "First, they could be a military organization, scouting our planet for unknown purposes, possibly even invasion. Second, they could be a group of thieves, who came here to rob the museum. Finally, they could be what they claim to be: peaceful explorers. We have concluded that is the least likely alternative."

"They clearly have military equipment and training" he said, gesturing at the photos. "Notice the markings on their uniforms here, and here. Some of the markings are on removable patches of cloth, perhaps allowing them to easily change or even hide their affiliation. They also were heavily armed with an array of projectile weapons similar to our own guns, knives, and what we suspect to be explosives, as well as some items we have yet to identify." He pointed to a photo of a zat.

"However, we're not certain that they're a military unit," Marius added. "They seem to have no discipline at all."

Lourdes nodded in agreement. "There is substantial evidence that they are a band of thieves. For example, Cicero stated that Mitchell asked him about the possibility of, and I quote, 'a stash of advanced alien weapons'. And he said the woman claimed to be 'one of the best thieves in two galaxies.' She was carrying equipment specifically designed to breach our display cases. Finally, Chancellor Gellius himself concluded that they were thieves after watching their behavior towards the hostages," Lourdes concluded.

"After examining all of the evidence, I believe that these people are mercenaries, who came here to locate and steal powerful but unknown weapons," Quartus announced. "But we have yet to determine the nature and location of these weapons. Locating the weapons must be our top priority. We cannot allow them to fall into the hands of the rebels."

"So far, all members of the group have proven resistant to interrogation along this line. They continue to claim that they are just peaceful explorers," Lourdes replied, "I request authorization to increase the level of coersion."

Quartus thought for a moment. "Tell the interrogators that they may use level 2 tactics, but only on those two men," he finally answered, pointing at the photos of Cam and Daniel. "I have different plans for the others, and I want them to be well-treated."

"Level 3 interrogation is more effective at breaking a subject," Lourdes protested.

Quartus nodded his agreement. "Yes, but its primary purpose is to force a confession, and the information we get from that type of questioning can be flawed. I'll reconsider your request for level 3 authorization if we don't get satisfactory results with level 2."

"How will we manage the public response to this event?" asked another man at the table.

"We have modified their images, as you see here," answered Marius. He displayed new images of each member of SG-1. In these pictures, their BDUs had been replaced by white sheets, their eyes were now closed, and their faces were pale. Blood spatter and bullet wounds were visible on their heads and necks.

"The woman's image took a bit more work, since she was smiling in the original. But I think that the results are quite realistic," Marius explained.

"Impressive," Quartus agreed, giving Marius an approving smile.

"Thank you, sir. We are going to release these to the public, with an announcement describing how the museum security guard, Jayem Seran, cornered and killed the rebels as they were attempting to flee the museum. It will celebrated as a great victory for the Viceroy and the Council," Marius concluded.

Quartus looked around the room. "We must all be clear on one thing. No one, absolutely no one, actually saw these people come through the ring as they claimed. From this point forward, they were just a faction of the Circle of Heavens cult. Claiming to be from another planet isn't that much of a stretch from their core beliefs, anyway. Anyone who raises the subject of 'aliens' outside this room will be arrested and charged with endangering state security, on the Viceroy's orders."

Lourdes nodded. "When we've located the alien weapons, we'll just dispose of them, since as far as the public knows, they're already dead."

* * *

A few hours later, the SGC dialed the gate on P4M-328, and attempted to raise SG-1 on their radios. By this time, the scientists studying SG-1's equipment had learned to predict the timing of the call, and Quartus was waiting.

"This is Chief Negotiator Quartus of Council Security," he answered into the radio, pressing the button that the scientists had determined to be the "talk" button. "Who are you?"

Landry felt a surge of hope. Talking to a 'chief negotiator' sounded promising. He glanced over at Walter. "Get Reynolds up here, now." Then, he addressed Quartus.

"This is General Landry of Earth Stargate Command. I am trying to contact a team that I sent to your location almost 24 hours ago. Their equipment seems to be in your possession. Do you know where they are?"

"First tell me your purpose in sending them." Quartus demanded.

"Just peaceful exploration. We meant no harm to you by sending them. We thought they were going to an abandoned location. I apologize if their arrival caused you any concern," Landry replied, hoping that the situation could be resolved peacefully. "Would it be possible for me to talk to my team?"

"No. Your 'peaceful explorers', as you call them, tried to rob our museum, taking hostages after they were discovered."

"There must be some misunderstanding," Landry replied, confused by the accusation. "We don't steal from populated worlds, and don't attack without provocation."

"I find that difficult to believe, based on your team's behavior. And you cannot talk to them because they are dead. Our forces had to kill them in order to rescue the hostages."

Landry was reeling as the words sank in. _They had to . . . kill them? _It took a few moments for him to regain his composure before he could respond. "If they are dead, as you claim, then will you return their bodies to us?"

"Impossible," Quartus asserted. "Your team wired a bomb to the ring, and it is now inoperable from this end. Be warned: we will tolerate no further acts of aggression. Anyone or anything attempting to come through the ring will be destroyed." Then, his tone softened a bit. "So that you have no doubts about their fate, I will give you this much. We have images of their dead bodies that we could send you, if you have a way of receiving them."

"We can receive images through our probe, which you apparently have taken to a scientific facility," replied Landry, keeping his voice steady through extreme effort.

"Turn it on now," Quartus directed. "and you will see the confirmation of their deaths." At Landry's nod, Walter activated the camera on the MALP. One by one, the altered photos of SG-1 were placed in the view of the lens. The control room was deathly silent, all eyes transfixed by the images on the screen. As he watched, Landry's blood began to boil. _What a waste of good people_.

"Do not attempt to contact us again," Quartus warned, after the last picture was shown. Then the video feed stopped abruptly. From the SGC control room, it was impossible to tell whether the MALP's camera had been disabled, or the probe had been destroyed.

"Shut it down," Landry ordered. As the wormhole dissipated, he looked around at the stunned faces in the control room. His expression was grim.

"Don't worry, people," he said with conviction. "This isn't over."


	5. Revelations

**Revelations**

Dr. Lee burst into the SGC briefing room, where the leaders of SG-3 and SG-5 were waiting for him, along with General Landry.

"I've got great news! I analyzed the printouts of the video feed from P4M-328 and I'm sure they faked those death photos!"

"That _is_ great news!" Landry agreed, with relief. "SG-1 must still be alive. If they had killed our people, there would have been no need for fake photos."

"How can you tell the photos were faked?" Altman asked.

"It was challenging," Bill admitted. "We weren't working from originals. All we had was a video recording of a transmitted copy of the images. This caused a loss of resolution in the image as well as the introduction of noise artifacts. But after we digitally enhanced the images, there were clearly additional artifacts around key edges – like their necks – that couldn't have been caused by the transmission alone."

"They photoshopped the pictures of SG-1?" Reynolds asked in amazement.

"Yeah, something like Photoshop," Bill replied. "I told you that their level of technology level seemed equivalent to Earth. It's shouldn't be surprising that they can alter images."

A faint smile appeared on Altman's face. _Aliens using Photoshop . . . sounds like the start of a good joke_.

"We're sure that the bullet holes and blood were added to the photos, and some color correction was done to give them that pallor," Bill continued. "Vala's picture is the worst job – if you compare her picture to the one in her personnel file, it looks like they even replaced her entire mouth area."

_I bet Dr. Jackson wishes he could do that so easily, _Altman thought. He choked back a laugh, which earned him a puzzled look from Dr. Lee, and glares from Landry and Reynolds. "Uh, sorry." He sank down in his seat.

"We're all relieved to learn that SG-1 is alive," Landry said. "But now we have the problem of how to get them home."

"Since he had the photos, Quartus must have had SG-1 at some point. It would help if we understood why he choose to lie about their deaths," Reynolds said, leaning back in his chair.

"I suspect it was to prevent a rescue mission," Landry answered. "He wants to keep them, but why?"

Altman spoke up. "Well, he claimed they tried to rob a museum and take hostages. If he didn't just make that up for our benefit, maybe he wants to punish them -- put them in jail or something. Not that they actually would have done something like that. It would be enough if he just believed it."

"SG-1 went to P4M-328 to look for a cache of Ancient weapons. If they actually retrieved something, Quartus may want them to make it operational," added Bill.

"Unless we can contact him through the Stargate, we have no way of confirming that," Landry said. "Even if he was open to further contact, I don't want him to find out that we know they're alive."

Reynolds sat up. "Because then he might actually kill them. Sir, I recommend that we launch a rescue mission immediately."

"Agreed. But the gate's not an option without confirmation from the MALP, not to mention the claim made by Quartus that it's inoperable and has a bomb attached to it. The rescue mission will be based from the Odyssey. We were going to send it anyway, to retrieve their bodes when we thought they were dead. The scientists at Area 51 estimate they can have it ready to go by 1800 hours tomorrow. Maybe they'll bump up that when they find out the mission is for living people."

Landry thought for a minute. "Once they've launched, they can beam your team up directly from here. We had already planned that they'd pick up Lt. Colonel Carter from Washington. After leaving Earth, we estimate that it will take about 3 days to get to P4M-328. Unfortunately, it's in a remote part of the galaxy."

"They've already been there more than a day, and we're not leaving until tomorrow afternoon? A lot can happen in five days," Reynolds said, rising to his feet.

"I'm relieved the IOA approved a rescue mission," Altman added. "After the loss of the Prometheus and the Korolev, I was afraid they wouldn't."

"They didn't want to," Landry replied. "They were suddenly more interested when I suggested the possibility that SG-1 may have actually found that cache of Ancient weapons before they were captured. But don't you worry about that. You just bring them home."

* * *

It was late afternoon on Gallia Nova when Chief Negotiator Quartus arrived back at the museum. With him was a beautiful dark-haired woman.

Vala looked around cautiously as they came to the main exhibit hall, weaving their way past an impressive array of barricades and guards. The museum was still considered a crime scene and was closed to the public. Quartus noticed her hesitation, and gave her an encouraging smile. He held out his arm to her -- apparently a universal gesture. She slipped her arm under his, and allowed him to guide her inside. Two security guards followed at a discreet distance.

"I hope you don't mind the change of clothes," he said. "But after the events of last night, I'm sure you understand my need for discretion."

"Not at all," Vala said, with a smile, "blue is my color. And this is much prettier on me than what I was wearing before." Indeed, the knee-length blue dress with its fitted bodice and flowing skirt complemented both her eyes and her figure. "I don't care much for the shoes, though," she added, eyeing the rather boring pumps they'd provided. Besides the fact that the fit wasn't quite right, she'd really have preferred something with a higher heel.

"If this goes well, I'll see what I can do about them," Quartus replied. "There is much that I can offer you, in exchange for your information."

"Oh yes, the cache of alien weapons," she said with a knowing look. "What are you offering, specifically?"

"That will depend on the quality of the information," he replied. "There's the matter of your freedom of course. And if you'll be staying in the city, your choice of an apartment,"

"Penthouse."

"Of course, as well as a living allowance."

"What about my companions?"

"We've already discussed that. The offer is for you only," replied Quartus. "Besides, I thought that they didn't treat you well."

"No, but they were rather good-looking." She looked around the room for a few moments, then asked, "well, what about a bit of jewelry? I've spotted something I'd _really_ like to have." She was standing in front of a female mannequin dressed in an ancient costume. On the mannequin's hand was a Goa'uld ribbon device.

Quartus rubbed his eyes. The history museum was a pet project of the Viceroy, and he wouldn't be thrilled for one of his security officers to start giving away its relics.

"Are you tired?" asked Vala, feigning sympathy.

"Your arrival at the museum has caused a lot of excitement," Quartus responded. "Since the alarm went off at the museum, I've only taken a couple of short naps in my office." He was actually exhausted, but had been unwilling to turn over leadership of the investigation to anyone else, even for a few hours.

"Well then, let's hurry this up so you can get some rest," Vala replied. "You've already been so nice to me with the clothes and all. Why don't you just let me try on that pretty bracelet, so I can see how it goes with the dress? If my information isn't satisfactory, you can always take it back."

_She described herself as the best thief in two galaxies, _he thought. _But the place is surrounded by guards, and she's just one woman, alone and unarmed. If she tries to pull something, she won't get anywhere._

"All right," he said.

Vala beamed at him. She bounded up to the mannequin, slipped off the bracelet, and then placed it on her own hand. She turned her hand over a few times, as if admiring it.

"It's perfect!" she enthused. "Okay, now for your information." She walked over to an open display case where several zats were arranged in a circular pattern around a large golden plate. The display was labeled "Ancient Representation of the Sun."

"Your curator seems to think that these are merely decorative," she began. "However, they're actually potent weapons." She began to reach into the case and pick one up.

Quartus used his free hand to block her. She released his arm and took a step backwards.

"Don't you want me to demonstrate it?" Vala asked.

"No, I think an explanation would be sufficient." replied Quartus.

"Oh, but a demonstration is so much more effective," Vala smiled. Then she opened the palm with the ribbon device, and sent a pulse from it which shoved him across the room. Before the two guards could react, she pushed them away, as well.

She slipped off the ribbon device and stuffed as much as she could of it into her bra. Then she snatched two zats from the display case, one for each hand. When she found her men, they were going to need as many weapons as she could carry. Unfortunately, her dress had neither a belt nor pockets, so two zats and a ribbon device would have to do.

One of the guards was struggling to get to his feet, so Vala zatted him. Two more quick shots ensured that Quartus and the other guard stayed down. Then she hurried out of the exhibit hall, looking for back exit from the museum. She really didn't want to take on all of the soldiers she'd seen out front.

Her instincts were good (as usual), and in a few moments, she'd reached a back exit. She ducked down as she approached the door, and then peeked out its window cautiously. A small squad of soldiers was guarding the exit, but only one was actually turned in the direction of the building. The rest were watching the alley, clearly expecting any threat to come from outside the museum rather than inside. There was an electronic control pad at the door. She studied it for a moment, then stepped back and zatted it. She had hoped the charge would override the lock, but nothing happened.

"All right, as Cameron would say, time for 'Plan B'." She zatted the door three times in succession, and it vanished. Then she stepped through the opening, zatting the guards who had started moving towards the door as soon as they'd heard her first shot.

"That wasn't much of a challenge," she said to herself as she fled down the alley, going as fast as she could in those uncomfortable pumps.

* * *

Later that evening, Cicero was brought to the Viceroy's private quarters. He was wearing a fresh set of street clothes, and his handcuffs had been removed.

"Marcus," Cicero greeted his brother-in-law with a combination of relief and fear. "Thank you for getting me out of there. Do you know what Quartus has done?"

"I know that he was instrumental in the capture of an armed group that attacked the museum yesterday night," the Viceroy replied calmly, settling back into his chair.

"But that's not what he's telling the public! He claims that the security guard killed them!"

"I know."

"Then how can you let him go on with this charade? Has he told you who they really are?" Cicero asked.

"He has told me who they claim to be. No one actually saw them come through that ring."

"But they activated it! I saw it myself. It was the most amazing thing . . ."

Marcus cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I have a proposition for you, Cicero." The researcher paled as the Viceroy explained what he wanted him to do.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Certainly. You may refuse, if you wish," Marcus replied pleasantly. Then his tone hardened. "But if you do, you will be returned to the cell that you just left, and you will never come out again. I will tell your sister that you were killed by the rebels, and the guards only just discovered where they hid your body. She'll never know otherwise. So take some time to think about it, and then tell me how you want to spend the rest of your life."

* * *

A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! Each one is sincerely appreciated. If you're reading this fic and haven't reviewed, please write and let me know that you're out there!

acer-sigma: as always, your reviews are full of great observations -- I enjoy reading them. But either you're reading my mind or my writing's too predictable ;). Anyway, this chapter addresses the question: "What did the Viceroy know, and when did he know it?"

Enajnitram - thanks for noticing my homework! I think I've spent more time researching the original episode, Stargate facts, and Roman culture than I've spent actually writing the fic :)

Wings 90 - level 2 coming up in the next chapter ;)

Blessington - you've pinpointed the whole concept behind this fic. Thanks for your comments!

Khentkawes, as you noted in a review of an earlier chapter, Vala was indeed the first to break out.


	6. Liberation

**Liberation**

"Describe the weapons you were seeking."

"We weren't looking for any weapons. We were just exploring," Daniel replied, folding his arms across his chest. He was standing in the center of the interrogation room, held in place by a short chain that connected a bracket in the floor to a manacle on his right ankle. As before, a team of three men sat at a table across from him, taking turns asking questions.

"We've gotten tired of your lies. You're going to have to give us something the next time that you lie to us."

"I don't have anything to give you."

"Yes, you do. Now, describe the weapons."

"We were just exploring . . . ." Daniel didn't know exactly what was contained in the Ancient's "infinite treasure," assuming it even existed. But he wasn't going take a chance on giving these people the ability to destroy all life on their planet. He felt a sudden kinship with the alien races that had refused to give Earth advanced weapons in the past.

One of the men got up and walked slowly towards him, pulling out a very large knife. The man stopped when he got close to Daniel; then just stood there watching him for several long moments.

"Care to change your answer?"

Daniel swallowed. "Uh . . . no," he said, looking up to meet the man's eyes.

"Then you'll have to give me something. Take off your shirt."

"What?"

"Take it off, or I'll cut it off you."

Daniel complied, slowly unbuttoning the BDU shirt. He handed it to the man with just a touch of confusion. He was glad to still have his black t-shirt, because the room suddenly seemed to have gotten colder.

"Thank you," said the man, and turned as if to walk away. Daniel felt momentarily relieved that he'd just lost his shirt, though he suspected where things might be headed. Then the interrogator turned and looked back at Daniel with a cruel smile.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Now we're going to give you something." He gestured towards the door. It opened, and a soldier walked in, carrying a large bucket. He walked over to Daniel, and then threw the contents of the bucket at him. Daniel flinched, but since he was chained to the floor, he couldn't get out of the way.

It was ice water. Daniel gasped involuntarily in shock as it hit him. He'd had no idea that plain water could be that painful. Almost immediately, he began shivering.

"All right, Jackson. Now we're going to ask you again. And if you lie to us, you're going pay for it by giving something to us. And, of course, we'll give something to you. Are you ready?"

_No, not really..._

* * *

Hours later, Daniel shivered in the darkness of his new cell. The interrogators had taken all of his clothes: t-shirt, belt, pants, shoes, and socks – even his glasses. Blood dribbled from a shallow scratch on his right leg where he'd been caught by the knife as they cut off his pants. He'd been unable to pull them off with one foot chained to the floor. He did still have his boxers, which were still soaking wet. _You just stay here for a while, and think about your answers, _they'd said before they left him. _You only have one thing left. You don't want to find out what will happen if you lie again, and have nothing to give us._

His new cell was cold enough that he could have seen his breath – if he could have seen anything. Despite his exhaustion, he feared what might happen if he allowed himself to fall asleep. Hypothermia could be fatal. Since the new cell didn't have a bed, there was no place to rest other than the cold, bare floor -- not a good idea in his current state of dress. Instead, he forced himself to stay on his feet and keep moving. _I'll keep going at least until I dry off a bit, _he thought. But the cell seemed damp, and he wasn't drying very quickly.

Suddenly, he heard a massive explosion. The entire building seemed to shake right down to its foundation. Daniel fell to the floor, hard, and felt a wrenching pain in his left shoulder. Using his right hand, he pushed himself off the floor, and then struggled the rest of the way to his feet. Then a second explosion rocked the building, followed quickly by a third. He staggered to a wall for support. There was a momentary silence that was eerie after all the noise. In the silence, Daniel heard a soft but distinct _click._

He felt his way to where he thought the door was, and fumbled for a moment until he found the handle. It turned! He pulled the door open a short ways, and then peered out into the hall. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light.

With shouts of excitement, doors flew open all along the hall. Prisoners began flooding out of their cells, and started running for the single exit to the cell block in an irresistible human wave. Despite his urge to escape, Daniel waited in his doorway for a moment. _I'm not sure I'm up to running right now, and I don't want to get trampled. _When the human flow ebbed a bit, he moved into the corridor. Not knowing the way out, he decided to follow the crowd.

In another part of the facility, Cam had also joined the rush of prisoners. He struggled to stay on his feet as the mass of bodies pulled him down two sets of stairs and into another corridor. Not far ahead of him, he spotted an imposing figure in a black sleeveless t-shirt, which stood in stark contrast to the white shirt and pants worn by the other prisoners.

He put all his fading strength into his voice. "Teal'c! Teal'c!"

The Jaffa turned and they made eye contact. Teal'c shoved himself against the wall, allowing prisoners to run past him. In a moment, Cam caught up to him.

"It is good to see you Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said, taking hold of Cam's arm and pulling him alongside. "You are freezing! What happened to your clothing?"

Cam glanced down at himself. He was wearing nothing but his boxers. "Traded them for a few buckets of cold water. I don't suppose you have any extra clothes on you?"

"Unfortunately not." The Jaffa scanned the crowd. "Have you seen Daniel Jackson or Vala Mal Doran?"

"No. And I'm wondering where the guards are."

As if that were the signal, there was a sudden crack of gunfire in the distance. The sound grew rapidly louder. In a moment, guards in black riot gear appeared at the top of the stairs, and began shooting indiscriminately. Several prisoners cried out and fell.

"Sorry I asked." Cam looked around for cover.

"In here!" Teal'c pulled Cam into an empty cell. He started to close the door.

"Not all the way . . ." Cam warned, his voice wavering as he shivered.

"I had not planned to trap us in here, Colonel Mitchell." Teal'c said calmly. He left the door slightly ajar.

"'Course not, sorry. Hard to think straight when you're this cold."

Teal'c peered out into the corridor. Then he turned back to Mitchell and spoke softly. "There appear to be several rebels entering the facility. They are returning fire with the guards."

A moment later, there was a burst of gunfire just outside their hiding place. Cam heard bullets ricochet in the corridor and against the door. A man screamed. Then there was a sudden lull in the fighting.

"We have been most fortunate," Teal'c said, as he pulled the door open. The body of a guard was propped against the door. Still clutching a gun, the body fell into the cell right at Cam's feet.

Cam grinned weakly. "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about! Let's hope he's my size!"

"Wearing the clothing of a guard will make you a target for the rebels." Teal'c noted, as Cam pulled on the guard's pants. They were a bit loose, but he was able to tighten the belt enough to keep them from falling down.

"If we found some prisoner clothes to fit me, then I'd be a target for the guards. And I'm a target for everyone in just my boxers," Cam answered. "So, if we run into the rebels, you take the gun and claim that I surrendered. And if we run into the guards, I'll take the gun and claim I captured you."

Teal'c could think of all kinds of problems with that plan. But he said nothing, as he bent down and retrieved the gun.

Cam pulled the guard's shirt on over his shoulders. He decided to ignore the bloody hole in the front. "What? It's a good plan!"

The hall outside their shelter remained quiet as Cam finished dressing. Teal'c turned to him. "I believe the coast to be clear," he said. "We should try to locate Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran."

"You know, Teal'c, I've only seen men in this prison."

"I had noted that. It is possible that Vala was taken to a completely different location."

"That's going to make things harder."

Together they slipped back out into the hall. It was empty except for several motionless bodies. Guards, rebels, and prisoners had all died in the brief firefight outside their temporary shelter.

"If they escaped from their cells, it is most likely they will have made for an exit," Teal'c said. "We should search there first."

They went down the corridor in the direction that the prisoners had been fleeing. Before long, they came to another flight of stairs, and started heading down. At the bottom, they came out into a larger area that might have been a reception or waiting room. There were no obvious exits.

"Basement," Cam suggested. "Back up the stairs." Both men knew that they might only have a few moments in which to escape. They bounded up the stairs to the next higher floor. As they came out of the stairwell, they found the longest corridor they'd yet seen. There, several dozen prisoners were bunched up against the narrow door, shoving and pushing each other in their rush to escape. The struggle increased sharply when Cam stepped out wearing the uniform of a guard.

Cam held his hands outward, palms open, to reassure them. "Don't worry about me! I'm just looking for a friend. I don't suppose any of you have seen a guy, kind of looks like me, dressed like him (here he pointed at Teal'c) or maybe just in his underwear?"

The prisoners ignored his question, more concerned about getting out as quickly as possible.

"There!" Teal'c pointed back down the long corridor. In the distance was Daniel, wearing just his boxers, walking unsteadily. He was holding his left arm as though it were injured.

"He is moving too slowly. Stay here, Colonel Mitchell! I will retrieve him." But Teal'c managed just a couple of steps toward Daniel before he was thrown to the ground as another massive explosion shook the building. A cloud of dust and debris roiled down the corridor. When it settled, they could see that part of the wall and ceiling had collapsed. The corridor was completely blocked. There was no sign of Daniel.

"Crap!" Cam couldn't believe their bad luck. "Maybe if we go back up the stairs, we can find another way to him."

So back into the stairwell they went. But as they were going up, they met a group of rebels coming down. Cam nearly ran face-first into the business end of a gun.

"Whoa, whoa!" Cam called out, raising his hands. "I'm not a guard – just borrowed the clothes." He gestured to the bloody hole on the front of his shirt.

"Who are you?" demanded the leader of the group of rebels.

"Just a couple of prisoners, looking for the way out," Cam replied.

"It's behind you. You're going the wrong direction."

"Well, see, we spotted a friend of ours at the other end of the corridor. He was cut off by the explosion, and we're looking for a way back to help him."

"We don't have time for this," another rebel spoke up.

"These might be the 'special prisoners' we heard about," said a third.

"I thought there were four," said the leader.

"Actually, there were four of us, but we got separated. So if you'll just let us go . . ." Cam began, but the leader cut him off.

"Take them."

"I _cannot_ believe this is happening!" Cam shouted in frustration.

Once again, Teal'c and Cam found themselves disarmed and bound, though instead of putting hoods on them, the rebels used hastily-improvised blindfolds. They were shoved out of the prison and into the back of a waiting truck. As the truck pulled away from the jail, they heard another series of explosions.

"_Dammit, Jackson," _Cam thought. Even if the archaeologist hadn't been killed by one of the explosions, he was alone and injured. How could he escape? And where was Vala?

* * *

A/N: I have a lot of notes - please bear with me!

**About the torture** -- the premise of this fic is that our team is trapped on a world similar to our own, which means they'd use similar interrogation techniques. So, the "level 2" tactics may not seem all that bad compared to stuff the goa'uld like to dish out, but it actually bothered me more to write because this type of torture really does happen - sensory deprivation, hooding, shackling, cold cells, etc. I decided not to write a simulated drowning (waterboarding) scene in this chapter for three reasons. First, because waterboarding does seem to yield a lot of false information, according to my research. Quartus wants facts, not a forced confession. Second, because I don't want this fic to turn into a political statement, though it easily could. And third, because I couldn't just do that to characters that we all care so much about. Neither could I bring myself to completely remove all of their clothes, though again, that type of humiliation is real-world, modern day torture.

**About the escape** -- I started plotting this fic months ago. I had already planned to have the rebels break our guys out of the prison along with their own, based on an event that happened early in the Iraq war -- before the Taliban actually staged a similar prison break in Afghanistan in mid June. I had thought the prison break was one of the most unrealistic parts of the fic. I was wrong.

**Now for the review responses:**

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed chapter 5. I appreciate your comments and suggestions!

**Blessington** - hope you liked this chapter!

**Livestar **- thanks for staying with the story!

**Valaeryn** - love the name! I'd guess you're a fan of CB. It's good to know you're enjoying the story.

**ilna & Killer Mushroom** - Chapter 5 has been one of my favorite chapters so far. I wasn't a big fan of the Vala character when she first became a regular part of the show, but she sure is fun to write! And I can't imagine a nicer comment than saying my writing is similar to the show itself. That's my goal!

**gioiagg **- better than an episode? Wow! Thanks!

**Enajnitram** - glad you liked it!

**Khentkawes** - thanks for noticing Vala's reference to "her men." And I wrote that bit about Quartus being up all night just to give him an excuse for showing some poor judgment. About having Vala use a zat on the door -- you raise a great point. Yes, it was convenient, and it could definitely be argued that a zat wouldn't work this way. But the zat has been one of the most "convenient" plot devices in the show, next to everyone in the universe speaking English. When I wrote this I was thinking back to "1969" where they used a zat to get rid of a pile of weapons and other gear. If it would get rid of objects like that, why not a door? I figured that on "Dominion," where they had to cut through the doors on the ship, it was because they'd been shielded against energy blasts. However, on reflection, I wish I'd had her use the ribbon device to just push the door open. I don't think we've ever seen a ribbon device used that way, either, but I think it would have made for a better scene. Of course, that opens up the whole question that **acer-sigma** raised: could you have a ribbon device and a zat in the same hand? I think the fingers on the ribbon device would get in the way of working the zat. And you couldn't use the ribbon device if you were holding a zat. It would have been impossible for her to stuff the zat into her bra! And yes, the original episode showed numerous staff weapons in the museum, but a staff just didn't seem to be Vala's style. And I am obviously over-analyzing this whole thing :)

**acer-sigma** - you always make such great comments in your reviews. Thanks for staying with the story!


	7. Sanctuary

**Sanctuary**

It had been mid-afternoon when Vala escaped from the museum. Not far from there, she came across an alley entrance to a bakery. She stashed her weapons among the loose trash in the alley, and went around to the front door. A few bright smiles and flirtatious remarks later, she left the bakery with a loaf of bread – but also with a bag to conceal the ribbon device and the zats.

To her surprise, there was no immediate pursuit. She had expected to have just a minute or two before Quartus and his soldiers recovered from the zat blasts. But even several minutes later, there was no sign of a search for her. This only made her more nervous. Did they have a way of finding her that she hadn't detected? Hidden security cameras? Spy satellites? She increased her caution, keeping to the shadows of the alleys and avoiding contact with people as much as possible.

Vala was looking for a place she could use as a base: where she could hide, find a change of clothes (and shoes), get some rest, and gather information on the fate of her teammates. Naturally, her search led her away from the respectable area around the museum and into the shabbier part of town. Vala knew from experience that such an area would be less well patrolled, and more likely to contain the sort of people who could be persuaded to help her. Getting help would be easier if she had some currency on her or something valuable to trade. She eyed the bag she was carrying and sighed. A single loaf of bread wouldn't get her much. She planned on keeping the weapons. Daniel would be disappointed in her if she resorted to stealing, but she might not have any choice.

As she came to the end of one alley, she spotted a couple of soldiers who had stopped a dark-haired woman on the street. They were evidently checking her identification papers. Vala withdrew back into the shadows. Then she heard a woman's soft voice behind her.

"Do you need help?"

Vala turned around. Standing there was a slender, plainly-dressed woman who looked to be about her own age.

"What makes you think I need help?"

The woman's light brown hair was done in a long braid that dangled over the front of one shoulder. She flipped the braid over to her back and challenged Vala.

"You're hiding from those soldiers."

"Why would I be hiding?"

"People have lots of reasons for hiding from soldiers. So, do you need help or not? Because if you don't, I'll be on my way."

Vala hesitated. It was not in her nature to trust a stranger so quickly. But she really did need to find a sanctuary, even if just for the night. The sun was setting. A cold wind had blown up, and it promised to be an uncomfortable night outdoors.

Vala made her decision. "I could use a place to stay the night – if you've got room. But I can't pay you."

"It's all right. I'd want someone to do the same for me if I needed help. Come, this way."

The young woman led Vala into another alley, and then another. After a few minutes they arrived at a narrow doorway.

"This is the service entrance to my building," the woman explained. "Few people come this way." Once inside, the two women negotiated a maze of rusted, worn-out equipment, discarded crates, and trash. As they reached a dark stairway, the woman stopped and turned to Vala.

"Don't be afraid," she said. "I'm just taking you to my apartment. It's up these stairs. But we haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name's Gaiana. What's yours?"

Assuming that the government had broadcast notices about her escape, Vala didn't want to give her real name. So she said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Athena."

"Athena? Like the legendary goddess?" There was an odd expression on Gaiana's face.

"Yes, except I'm much smarter, of course. Not to mention better-looking."

Gaiana laughed. "Well, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Athena. Come on up."

The women climbed several flights of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a hallway lined with several doors. Gaiana went up to one door, knocked once, hesitated, and then knocked two more times.

"You knock on your own door?" Vala asked.

"Just to let them know that it's me," Gaiana replied. "This area has a lot of crime, and I wouldn't want to startle my family." She produced a key and unlocked the door.

Vala looked around cautiously before she went inside. She saw a simple but clean room, with no place that could conceal a potential attacker. One corner of the room had been set up as a cooking area, while another contained a few mats and blankets for sleeping. A cloth had been tacked up against one wall, apparently covering a window. A small fixture in the ceiling was the room's only other source of light.

The woman walked over to the sleeping area, and knelt down by a mat on the floor. She gently pulled back the edge of the blanket to reveal a curly blonde head.

"Chrysanthe, I'm home," Gaiana said softly.

"Mama," the little girl said, turning over and holding out her arms. "I got tired waiting for you."

"I'm sorry, darling. I took a different route home tonight. And I met a lovely woman on the way. Will you greet her properly?"

Solemn blue eyes fixed themselves on Vala's face."Greetings," the little girl said. "I'm Chrysanthe. I'm seven."

"Hello, Chrysanthe," Vala replied, with a warm smile. "I'm Athena."

"That's a beautiful name," the little girl said. Vala thought the she seemed very awake for a child that had supposedly been asleep a few moments before. Like her mother, she was very thin.

"Chrysanthe, did you have something to eat before you laid down?"

"Yes, mama, I ate the soup that you left. I'm still hungry, though."

Gaiana knelt and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "There wasn't any extra food at the restaurant tonight. I'll try to bring you something tomorrow."

"Here, I have something," Vala said. She reached into her bakery sack and pulled out the loaf of bread, quickly closing the sack again to conceal the weapons. "Would you like this?"

The girl's eyes widened. "How did you get that?"

"A nice man gave it to me," Vala replied. "Don't you want it?"

The girl looked at her mother.

"Go ahead, dear one. It's all right."

Chrysanthe took the loaf carefully, and then got up and walked over to the kitchen area. She placed the bread on a low table, sat down on the floor, and waited.

"Why aren't you eating?" Vala asked.

"I'm waiting for you and mama, and for grandmama. We should all share."

"My mother, Hypatia, lives with us," Gaiana explained. "She works as a cleaner at the hospital, and should be home in a little bit." Then she spoke to her daughter.

"You're such a good girl. I'll get a knife, so we can divide it up. We can all have a little."

As she sliced the bread, Gaiana turned to Vala. "And here I thought that I was helping _you._ We can each have a slice of bread tonight, and you will have most of a loaf left over for tomorrow. Would that be all right?"

Vala pasted a smile on her face. A slice of bread for dinner. Well, at least this planet was going to be good for her figure.

* * *

Gaiana pulled the blanket back up over Chrysanthe on her little mat, and spoke to her softly for a while. Vala remained at the table, consumed by thoughts of SG-1. When Gaiana was certain that her daughter was asleep, she went to the window, pulled back the simple curtain and peered out. She seemed to be looking for something. Then she went back to the table and sat on the floor next to Vala.

"It looks like there is a large fire, north of the city. The whole sky is red that direction," she said with a thoughtful expression. Then, she abruptly changed subjects.

"What else do you have in that bag?"

"Just a few . . . necessities," Vala answered, surprised by the question.

"May I have a look?"

"No."

"I thought not," Gaiana replied. "Don't worry, I'm not going to take your things from you. When I first saw you, I thought you might be a citizen, fleeing an abusive husband or father. You certainly aren't dressed like a freedman. I assumed that you were carrying all of your remaining possessions in that one bag. It was a surprise when you pulled out a loaf of bread. It wasn't what I thought a runaway citizen would carry."

"You thought I'd have money?"

"Yes, or jewelry, things that you could sell. But please don't think that's why I helped you. I meant what I said: I helped you because I'd want someone to help me, if I needed it." Then she laughed again. "You'll think this is strange, but I believe I was meant to help you. I think my God sent me to you. I don't usually go home from the restaurant through the alley. But I believe that I was directed to you."

"Well, I'm glad that we met. It was going to be a cold night outside, if you hadn't taken me in." Vala replied, carefully. She remembered what Cicero had told her about the Circle of Heaven cult, and wondered if she'd just met a member. She knew that she didn't want to end up back in the government's hands, but that didn't mean the rebels would be a better option.

"But then I recognized you," Gaiana said, echoing Vala's cautious tone.

"Recognized me?"

"From the news reports about the museum. They showed the pictures of the rebels that were killed. One of them was you, wasn't it?"

"How could that be? I'm not dead, obviously," Vala replied, her mind whirling. Her heart jumped in her chest. Were the others d--? She refused to believe it. She thought quickly back to the picture that had been taken during the _very_ unpleasant medical exam. Had it been altered, so that she just appeared to be dead?

"You looked different, of course, all pale and bloody. That is why I didn't recognize you earlier. But after you gave your name as Athena --"

"What's wrong with my name?"

"Well, for starters, no believer in the Circle of Heaven would use the name of a goddess. It would be sacrilege. And they would object to the phrase "legendary goddess." Do you remember me asking you that?"

Vala nodded.

"I'm sorry, but it was a test. So, you're not a runaway citizen, and you're not a rebel, either. So, who are you, really? Will you trust me enough to tell me your real name?"

Vala sighed. She couldn't believe that Gaiana had exposed her so easily. She must be loosing her edge.

"It's Vala. Vala Mal Doran," she said with a faint smile. She started thinking through what else she could safely divulge. But before Gaiana could ask her any more questions, there was a knock at the door: two quick raps, then a pause, and then one more rap. Vala had a sudden insight. _It's a code._

Gaiana ran to the door as it opened to reveal a frail-looking older woman. "Mother, you're late!" she said in a fierce whisper, worry evident on her face. The woman looked over at Vala in surprise.

"Who's this?"

"My name's Vala," she replied, softly. None of the women wanted to wake the sleeping child, so they continued to whisper.

"I believe we can trust her," Gaiana said to her mother. "What kept you?"

"Haven't you heard? The rebels attacked the prison tonight!"

Gaiana was stunned. "The fire north of town! I saw the light!" She sat on the floor suddenly, as though all the energy had left her body. "The prisoners ... did any escape?"

"I saw some of the soldiers who were brought to the hospital for treatment. They were talking among themselves. They were saying that hundreds of prisoners must have escaped." She bent down and clutched her daughter's hands. "But many were killed, too."

"Not Demetrius. I know he's not dead."

"I hope not, dear. But we can't know for certain. Not unless he -- " Hypatia stopped, and looked at Vala.

"I won't do anything to betray you," Vala said. "The government is looking for me, too." She focused on Gaiana. "Is Demetrius your husband?"

"Yes," Gaiana replied, grief evident on her face. "He accused of being a rebel two years ago, and taken away. I tried telling the soldiers that we weren't rebels but that didn't stop them from taking him. We haven't seen or heard from him since."

"Mother, I have to go, to see if I can find him, help him," Gaiana pleaded. "Please, stay here and take care of Chrysanthe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll go with you," Vala said quickly. There was at least a chance that Daniel, Cam and Teal'c were out there somewhere. They'd have no idea how to find her if she didn't find them."

Hypatia squeezed her daughter's hands again. "You can't. The Viceroy has declared a shoot-on-sight curfew. Soldiers were already setting up barricades when I left the hospital. It took me so long to get home because I had to find a route that was still open. It will be impossible to move around the streets by now."

* * *

"Honored Viceroy," Quartus said, bowing low.

"You have not had a good day, have you, Quartus?" the Viceroy began. "It was about this time last night that you were announcing our 'victory over the rebels' to the public. They seem to have turned the tables on you. Do you have an explanation?"

Briefly, Quartus described both Vala's escape and the attack on the prison, accepting full responsibility for both incidents. He held nothing back – revealing in full his own culpability in Vala's escape, the casualty counts among the prison staff, and the number of escaped prisoners. He had learned long ago that Marcus Pinarius Agustus demanded both total obedience and total honesty from his subordinates. Trying to assign blame elsewhere would bring a swift end to his career.

"It appears that you used bad judgment in the case of the woman," the Viceroy said, after Quartus had concluded his explanation. "I shall excuse your failure in this instance. Who would have guessed that a mere woman would act in such a manner? But you failed in your duty to increase security at the prison. You should have anticipated that the rebels would retaliate after the announcement of their defeat at the museum."

"You have served me well for a long time, Quartus," the Viceroy continued. "In acknowledgment of that service, I am going to suspend the usual consequences for such a failure. I am going to give you the opportunity to redeem yourself. Recapture the aliens, find the cache of advanced weapons, and execute the rebels responsible for the attack on the prison."

"I will, honored Viceroy. Before the attack on the prison, I had already ordered the security forces to conduct random identity paper sweeps. The attack gives us an excuse to increase our searches without raising suspicion. Together, the searches and the curfew will create a net that the aliens cannot escape."

"An acceptable beginning, but you must take it further. We cannot allow the rebels a victory. Arrest anyone connected to the escaped prisoners or suspected of providing material support to our enemies. I have suspended the usual requirement for warrants due to the current emergency. Set up an internment camp outside the city for those you detain. It is time to crush this rebellion."

"Yes, honored Viceroy," Quartus replied. What the Viceroy was requesting was unprecedented, and Quartus' mind reeled with the logistics. It would require a massive commitment of their forces. But he knew better than to question the Viceroy's orders, especially in his weakened position. He hoped that his next bit of news would strengthen that position a bit.

"I believe that we have located the alien weapons. When the woman escaped, she took but two of the hand weapons that our researchers mistakenly believed to be ornamental. That leaves six of these devices in our possession, along with several others that were not on display. We are also examining every single artifact in the museum to assess its potential as a weapon."

"Are you really such a fool as that?" the Viceroy sneered. "I have read the reports. When they were in the museum, the aliens made no effort to retrieve those weapons. Why? It can only be because they already possessed similar technology. They were seeking something even more powerful. And I want you to find it."

"I will not fail you."

"See that you do not."

* * *

A/N: thanks again for your reviews! I hope you all like this chapter as much as the previous ones.

HAZMOT – thanks so much for the review – sorry I left you off the response list for the last chapter. The next chapter should clear up the rebel's motivation for taking Cam and Teal'c.

SG1-Reader – glad you like it!

Khentkawes – So now you know where Vala is – but she missed seeing Daniel (and Cam) in his boxers. We'll catch up with the guys next chapter. This one just got too long to include a scene with them. About the Circle of Heaven – in the original episode, Cicero told Vala and Cam that the rebels were members of this cult. So the two of them have heard of it, but Daniel and Teal'c weren't in the room at the time.

Acer-sigma – thanks so much for the nice comments about the chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Less action in this one, but some necessary setup for what's coming next.

Killer Mushroom – I appreciate the encouragement!

Gioia-gg – I hope I haven't ruined the original episode for you! But there was one comment in the original that convinced me the government wasn't going to play nice with our team. Quartus said to Daniel (over the radio): _"__Believe me, I want this to end well for both of us, but as you should know from previous attempts at political terrorism like this, the Viceroy would rather sacrifice the hostages before bowing to such demands." _So, they've sacrified innocent lives in the past – apparently with ease. Not nice guys.

* * *


	8. Awakenings

**Awakenings**

It was the morning of their third day on Gallia Nova.

Since SG-1 had arrived on the planet, they'd faced one trial after another without a respite. Only Vala had been permitted to get any sleep the first night. So it was perfectly natural that the first opportunity they got for some real rest, they took it, wherever they were. It was also natural that Teal'c was the first to wake.

Teal'c was lying on the floor in a small, bare room. His hands were still tied behind his back. Cam was lying not far away, eyes closed, snoring softly. Teal'c sat up and studied the room carefully. There was just one door, and it had no openings. From the light coming in the single small window, he surmised that it was early morning. There was no sign of any surveillance equipment. While Teal'c lacked the near super-human strength he'd had when he carried a symbiote, he was still far stronger than most humans. With concentrated effort, he was able to stretch his bonds enough to loosen them, and then slip them off his hands. He got up quietly, and moved across the room to wake and untie Cam.

Meanwhile, Daniel was also waking up. His first sensation was warmth, and then softness. He slowly became aware that he was lying in a bed, covered in layers of sheets and blankets. Then room was comfortably cool, and his eyes felt strangely heavy, so he was content to just lay there for a while, half dozing. _It's so nice not to be cold and wet, _he thought dreamily. The thought surprised him a little, lifting him toward wakefulness. _Why was I cold and wet?_ His thoughts refused to focus and give him the answer. He forced his eyes to open, but found that everything was hazy and blurry, more than he'd expect from just the absence of his glasses. He could tell was in a cozy bedroom, and the morning sun was streaming in through gauzy white curtains. A slender woman was sitting in a chair across from him.

Last of all, Vala woke. Her first awareness was of stiffness and soreness, caused by spending the night on a thin mat made of a reed-like material. As she opened her eyes, she found that she was staring into another set of eyes – a child's eyes, wide and blue, set in a pale, slender face framed by curly wisps of light brown hair. _Not Chrysanthe, _she thought. _There is a resemblance, but this child is definitely younger. _She sat up slowly, to avoid startling the child.

"Good morning," she said with an encouraging smile. "What's your name?"

The child said nothing, but got up, scurried across the room, and threw himself down on the floor where Chrysanthe was still sleeping. There was no sign of Gaiana or Hypatia. The boy continued to stare at Vala from across the room. _Two children, _she wondered. _Where was this one last night? _

* * *

"Uh, hello," Daniel said to the woman sitting across from him. She got up and walked over to the bed, taking a moment to smooth out the apron over her dress.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. Her voice was soft and soothing. It sounded somehow familiar.

"Leda?"

"No, not Leda," she replied. "I'm Calliope. Who is Leda?"

"Calliope," he mumbled. "Greek. Beautiful voice."

"What?"

"Your name, it means _beautiful voice._ And it's true. You do have ..."

"Who is Leda?" she asked again, coming over to sit next to him on the bed.

His mind searched for the answer. _Leda ... she took care of me, when I was hurt like this before, when I was stranded on ... _he couldn't think of the name of the planet.

"Someone who helped me once," he answered. "She was so gentle and kind. She shouldn't have died."

"Why did she die?"

"The Ori ... they killed her with their plague when she wouldn't convert to Origin. But she would have died anyway when her planetwas destroyed by its own people. So I guess she was fated to die in the end, but it's still so sad. She deserved better." Daniel sighed.

"Who are the Ori?"

He thought for a moment, then answered slowly. "They're ascended beings ... like the Ancients. Vala and I discovered them when ... when we activated the Ancient communication device. We didn't know that the Ancients had been shielding our universe ..." Daniel spun the whole sad tale for her, from their experiences in the bodies of Harrid and Sallis, their meeting with the Doci, and their near-immolation on the Ori altar. A part of him was mildly surprised at the torrent of words flowing from him, but mostly he felt a sense of enormous relief at telling the story. As he talked, the unfocused feeling receded a bit, and in its place he just felt a sense of warmth and wholeness. Then he tried to sit up a little.

"Ow," he complained, as a pain lanced through his shoulder. The pain seemed to clear some of the fuzz from his head. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I've been talking a lot about myself, but never asked you ..."

"You were injured trying to escape from the prison." Calliope interrupted. "My husband Lysander and his cell mate found you lying unconscious in the hall near the site of an explosion. They brought you here last night. I have done what I can for your shoulder, and for the cut on your leg."

"Thank you," Daniel replied. He felt a surge of gratitude for complete strangers who had risked themselves for him. His ability to focus seemed to have improved a bit, and he squinted for a better view of Calliope. She appeared to be in her late 20's or early 30's. Her features were those of a classic beauty, her face surrounded by long, white-blonde hair that fell around her shoulders. _She's so beautiful, _he thought, _like a Greek goddess. _

He looked around the room. "Where is your husband now?"

"He's downstairs, eating a bit of breakfast. You're not quite well enough to get out of bed yet. I'll just go and bring you something to eat here."

Daniel realized that he hadn't eaten since the SGC commissary, just before the mission. He realized with sudden self-reproach that he hadn't even thought about what had happened to Vala, or Cam, or Teal'c since waking up. The last time that he'd seen them was just before they'd been put in the van to be taken to the prison. No, that wasn't right – he'd seen Cam and Teal'c in the prison, just before the explosion. Teal'c had been coming back for him. He hoped fervently that they'd escaped without injury. But he had seen no sign of Vala at all. His heart clenched at the thought of her, possibly trapped in that prison during the attack.

Daniel was engrossed in his thoughts when Calliope returned to the bedroom, carrying a tray. With her was a young man, tall and well-built, with dark curly hair.

"This is my husband, Lysander."

"I'm Daniel." He held out his right hand to Lysander, who took it in a firm grip. "Calliope tells me that you found me in the prison, and brought me here. Thank you." As Lysander released his hand, Daniel looked down at himself, suddenly aware that he was still dressed in just his boxers. He was grateful again for the blankets covering him.

"Any enemy of the Viceroy is a friend of ours," Lysander replied.

"But . . ." Daniel blurted out, and then resisted the urge to say anything more. It might not be the best move to tell them he was just a peaceful explorer, and not technically the Viceroy's enemy. So he just gave them a weak smile. Calliope moved to place the tray in his lap. He shifted in the bed, trying to sit a little higher so that he wouldn't spill the food all over himself. The pain from his shoulder assailed him once more, and he winced involuntarily. He tried wiggling his fingers, then rotating his forearm. _OK,__ not dislocated, I think, but maybe separated._

"Your shoulder pains you," she said. "Let me give you something for it."

"No, thank you, I'm fine," he said. Calliope ignored him and walked out of the room.

"Let Calliope be the judge of that," Lysander replied. "She's an excellent nurse."

"Really, I don't need anything but some food," Daniel said, and began working on the fruit and bread she'd placed on his tray. With it was a cup of something like milk, but sweeter. _No coffee_, he thought regretfully. But he could feel his energy returning as he ate.

In a few minutes, Calliope returned with a syringe in her hand. Daniel eyed it with concern.

"Please, I don't need any medicine. The pain's not that bad. Maybe just a sling ..."

"Nonsense," she replied, taking the half-empty tray. "You need rest to recover, and that requires relief from the pain." She put the tray on the floor, and then prepared to inject him. Instinctively, Daniel put out this right hand to block her. He didn't want to be rude to the couple that had helped him, but even more, he didn't want to be injected with an unknown drug.

"I'll hold you down, if necessary," Lysander warned him, putting a hand firmly on his good shoulder. His mouth was smiling, as though he were joking, but Daniel felt a chill go through him as he looked in his eyes and saw hardness there.

Daniel considered his options. It probably wouldn't do to make enemies of them, and he didn't doubt that Lysander could hold him down, if it came to it. Lying in the bed, he was already in a vulnerable position, plus he had a shoulder injury. Reluctantly, he nodded his acquiescence. He tried not to wince when she jabbed him with the needle.

"There, that wasn't so bad," she said, as though he'd just been afraid of the needle.

"Nope, didn't hurt at all," he replied, then laid his head back down on the pillow. He suddenly felt very tired.

Calliope and Lysander turned to leave the room. At the door, she turned and looked back at Daniel. "Get some rest. We'll talk again soon."

After they left, Daniel squinted at the tiny mark she'd left on his left arm. Next to it, he could see a second injection site. _Two marks?_ But he found that he couldn't force his mind to focus enough to figure out why there were two marks instead of one. He fell asleep wondering why it even mattered.

In the kitchen, Calliope threw away the remainder of the food from Daniel's tray. "He should be asleep by now," she said to Lysander, keeping her voice soft on the chance that Daniel was still awake.

"So, what did you learn from him?" Lysander asked.

"Just bits and pieces about beings called the Ori, so far. He was rambling, but that's to be expected."

Lysander frowned in disappointment. "That's all? Why did you drug him again so soon? You should have waited until we had more information. We have very little time . . ."

"You should have more patience," she interrupted, bristling at his tone. "The drug doesn't make a subject answer questions. It just relaxes him and removes his inhibitions. We'll get the information you want only if he learns to trust us. It cannot be rushed."

"You still haven't explained why you put him under again so quickly," Lysander demanded.

"He slept longer than I expected after I gave the first dose, and it was beginning to wear off. If he becomes alert enough to realize what's happening, he'll fight it, and then we may not get anything more out of him. He better rested now, and won't sleep so long this time. He should wake up in an hour or so, and then we can start again." She produced a small recording device from her apron pocket and held it out to him. "You should make your report," she said defiantly. "And you should trust me. I know what I'm doing."

* * *

Cam stretched his arms and rubbed his wrists, trying to work out the soreness. Then, as Teal'c had done earlier, he surveyed the room for escape options.

"I suppose that you tried the door?" he asked.

"It is locked."

"I figured. Well, our best option is probably to jump them when they come in the room, if there aren't too many."

"It is not clear at this point that they are our enemies. Perhaps we should talk to them first."

"Yeah, I'd like to do that, but we'll only get one shot at escape. And it's not a good sign that they left us tied up all night."

"If we are able to overpower them, we will need to find the exit to the building very quickly," Teal'c noted.

"Right turn from the door, two sets of stairs on the way up, and then one left turn. Just reverse it, and we're out of here." Cam grinned at his accomplishment, but then his smile faded a little. "Though once we're outside, we'll have to improvise."

Teal'c nodded. "I have made the same observations." He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you sure that you are sufficiently recovered to do this?"

"Yeah, though I'd feel better if they'd give us something to eat. Definitely better than last night, though." Cam shivered at the memory of his treatment. Then, he turned to Teal'c with concern on his face. "Hey, how are _you_ doing?"

"I am fine, for the moment, Colonel Mitchell. I was given food and water. I am unsure why my treatment was better than yours."

"What about ... "

"They permitted me a dose of tretonin just before the prison attack. But they kept the remaining doses."

"You need that daily, don't you?"

"Yes. But I will not begin to feel the effects of a missed dose until tomorrow morning."

"They'll send the Odyssey for us. You just have to hang on until it gets here." _And I hope that's soon,_ Cam thought.

"It seems I will have little choice. Even if we do escape from here, it is unlikely that we will be able to retrieve the tretonin."

The two men settled down to wait on either side of the door, their backs to the wall, ready to jump up at the sound of a key in the lock.

* * *

As the Odyssey sped through space, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter finally gave up on getting any sleep. Worried thoughts about her team had made it difficult to relax. Even though she knew that the engines were tuned to perfection, she couldn't let go of the idea that there still must be some way she could boost the speed of the ship through hyperspace. Sam had spent the better part of her sleep period going through the engine's schematics in her head, but had yet to come up with any ideas. _Maybe if I got out in a spacesuit and pushed?_ she thought wryly.

When she could lie in bed no longer, she got up, walked over to the small sink in her quarters, and washed her face. _I look awful_, she thought as she studied herself in the mirror. _Wouldn't want my team seeing me like this_. A few minutes later, some under-eye concealer, mascara, and lip gloss had her looking more alert. Then she decided to skip breakfast, and instead headed down to the engineering deck to run a few diagnostics.

* * *

A/N: 8 reviews for chapter 7! I'm so pumped! I was afraid chapter 7 might not get many reviews, since it had more dialog than action. But that chapter (like this one) provides the necessary setup for the action in the coming chapters. Several of you have made comments about the backstory of the planet. I plan to continue revealing it in bits and pieces, but after the next couple of chapters, I will put a summary on my home page for anyone who is interested. Thanks, everyone, for sticking with the story!

I did some research on how long Teal'c could go without tretonin, and didn't find anything definite. He seems to need it pretty frequently, though, based on episodes like _Sacrifices,_ so I went with a daily requirement.

**Khentkawes** - you're right on with your analysis of Vala. She has changed a lot since she first appeared on the show.

**Bkwrum1** & **Happybear2005** - thanks for reviewing. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

**HAZMOT** & **Enajnitram**- yes, Vala's found someone nice -- unlike poor Daniel. I know for a "D/V" fic they haven't had any time together yet, but it is coming . . . eventually.

**gioia-gg** - thanks for the comments. Little kids are funny - aren't they? They always seem to give their age when they introduce themselves, because they think it's the most important thing about them. About "Athena" - what Gaiana meant was, if you believe in a goddess, you wouldn't want someone to call her "legendary" meaning "mythical." Perhaps that would have been a better word choice.

**acer-sigma** - Vala _was_ lucky, but this was due, in part, to her choice to go to the poor part of the city. She wouldn't have gotten the same reception if she'd gone up and knocked on the door of some well-to-do citizen! I hope you like the info about Daniel in this chapter, though I know it raises as many questions as it answers. You've picked up a lot about the situation on the planet. It's great to have such attentive readers -- and also keeps me on my toes!

**Blessington - **hope you like this chapter - yes, Daniel's still in his boxers ;). But at least he's warm and dry. I meant to spend more time on Cam and Teal'c in this chapter, but also wanted to get it posted today. So, their interaction with the rebels is coming up next!**  
**


	9. Discoveries

**Discoveries**

Cam was impatient for action. He and Teal'c had been waiting for over an hour to pounce on whoever came through their cell door. As a result, he felt a sense of relief when they finally heard the distinctive sound of a key in the lock. The two men's eyes met, and by silent agreement, they rose to their feet.

The door opened, and a lone man walked in to their cell, unarmed, without taking any precautions. Teal'c wrapped his arms around the man from behind, and spun him around.

Cam threw up his arms in a combination of surprise and exasperation. "Cicero?"

"Uh, hello." Cicero replied. Satisfied that he posed no immediate threat, Teal'c released him. "I guess you're surprised to see me?" Cicero asked, glancing back and forth to gage their reactions.

"Well, yeah." Cam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Cicero began, "which I'll tell you, but first, there's someone you should meet." He gestured back to the open cell door. Several armed men moved into the doorway.

"This is Alcaeus." Cicero indicated the group's leader, a graying but still muscular man, who towered over his followers. "He's in charge here." Cicero turned to Alcaeus. "This is Mitchell, and Teal'c. They're the ones I told you about."

"So, the story that Cicero told us is true," the man said, coming into the room. "You came through the Circle of Heaven?"

"If by that you mean the Stargate, then yeah, we did" Cam replied. "Hey – don't do that!" he added, as all of the men in the room sunk to their knees in apparent worship. "We're just ordinary people, like you."

"We are not worshiping you, we are giving thanks to the gods," Alcaeus replied, offended. "It is clear that you are as human as us. But it has long been foretold that the Circle would open again, and Caesar would show his favor to the faithful. Your coming is a sign of our impending victory."

Cam sighed. He didn't want do anything to get them angry, but from the contents of the museum, he surmised that these "gods" were Goa'ulds. "I'll tell you what," he said, holding out his hand to the man, and helping him to his feet. "I'll bet you have a place where we can sit down and have something to eat, and get to know each other better. It just might be that we have something to offer each other."

A while later, Cam and Teal'c were reclining in the position of honor at a low table. They were in a large room that evidently served as the rebel's commissary. With them were Cicero, Alcaeus, and several other rebels. As they ate and talked, Cam and Teal'c both took note of a large number of men who lingered about the edges of the room, evidently curious about the newcomers.

At Cam's request, Cicero went first, explaining how he had ended up with the rebels. He related how Quartus had arrested him, his night in prison, and then how he'd met with the Viceroy.

"Your brother-in-law?" Cam asked, surprised.

"Well, my sister's always been very ambitious. My family's wealthy and well-respected, so it was a beneficial match for both of them." He looked a tad embarrassed. "And it was good for me, too. My connection to the Viceroy is what got me the position at the museum and allowed me to conduct my research, despite my less-than-stellar reputation."

"That is how Pinarius rose to power, " Alcaeus spat, "through his connections. At first he depended on those around him for support, and now they depend on him for their position and wealth. All who oppose him suffer for it."

"And a rebellion is the answer?" Cam asked.

"It has been brewing for a long time," Cicero responded, "between those who believe that we should have a more secular society, and those of the Circle of Heaven."

"And which are you?" Alcaeus demanded, turning to Cicero.

"Uh...I've never paid much attention to politics or religion," Cicero answered hastily. "I've been too focused on my research into the artifacts in the museum, especially the ... the Stargate."

"While people are starving?" Alcaeus demanded again, rising to his feet in anger. "Or have you not seen how Pinarius has been using food as a weapon? Turning innocents out of their homes? Killing off the next generation of those who could oppose him?"

"Cicero, you haven't told us what the Viceroy wanted from you," Cam interrupted.

"He...he wanted me to help... torture you," Cicero replied, shaken by Alcaeus' outburst. "That wasn't what he called it, but it was what he meant. He said that you were being ... uncooperative, and they thought that you'd break down faster if someone that you knew, and, uh, liked, was asking the questions and uh...," he paused for a long while. "He described what they wanted me to do, in detail. I thought we had laws against ... that," he finally said, putting his head in his hands.

"Pinarius holds himself bound by no laws," Alcaeus responded angrily.

"Anyway, when I refused, he had me sent back to the prison. Alcaeus and his men found me there, and brought me here along with you, last night. I told him what really happened at the museum, and everything that you told me about the Stargate."

"And why did you do that?" Cam asked. For someone related to the head of the government, Cicero seemed to have changed sides a little too easily.

"Because, like I told Quartus, this is the future of our people. Our chance to move beyond our differences and make contact with worlds through out the galaxy. And I'll tell anyone who will listen."

_I hope they searched you for a transmitting device_, Cam thought. But rather than speak the thought aloud, and possibly get Cicero killed, he decided to try for an opportunity to search Cicero himself.

"About the prison break . . ." he began.

"One of our greatest successes!" Alcaeus said with pride. "We had been planning it for months. Your arrival at the prison caused us to attack but a few days earlier than we had planned."

"You knew we were there?"

"Our supposed attack at the museum was public knowledge, of course. We knew that it wasn't any of our people. But Pinarius claimed we had been defeated there, and that it was the beginning of the end for us." Alcaeus threw down a government flyer on the table. The front page featured the altered photos of SG-1, supposedly dead. "These were posted all over the city the next morning. We had to respond with a victory of our own."

Cam studied the pictures. "Then you know that you only have half of our team." He pointed to the picture Daniel. "We were on our way back to help him when your men grabbed us." His tone was slightly accusing. "And we didn't see her at all."

"She must be at the women's prison. As for him, I can assure you that he is not here. We have many eyes and ears in this city. They are looking for both of them, even as we speak."

"I don't suppose there's any way that you guys are up for another prison break?"

Alcaeus considered it for a moment. "We will need time to plan and prepare for it. And all prisons will be doubly guarded following our success last night. Of course, even with just two of you, we could expose the Viceroy as a liar. No doubt the gods would be pleased," he said, giving Cam an appraising look.

"Yes, the gods," Cam replied. He pointed to a large banner that hung at the head of the hall. "Their symbol? May we take a closer look?"

"Yes," Alcaeus replied, with a hint of impatience.

Cam new that he had to hurry this up, but he needed more information. He didn't know whether he was talking to this planet's equivalent of the French Resistance or to the Taliban. He needed to understand them better before he committed to a course of action. Together he and Teal'c approached the banner, with Alcaeus, Cicero, and the other rebel leaders close behind him. In the center of the banner was a large circle, decorated with seven evenly-spaced chevrons. Next to each chevron was a figure of a god or goddess.

Cicero pointed at the top figure. "Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantius, the chief god. He is followed by Mercury, Saturn, Mars, Apollo, Jupiter, and Athena. They believe that Caesar created the world and placed us here. When he left through the great ring, the other gods remained to watch over us."

"Caesar promised that he would return one day. The Viceroy has ruled in his name for all of recorded history," Alcaeus added. "It is only in the last few decades that the Viceroys have begun to distance themselves from the Circle, as fewer and fewer people remained faithful. Now Pinarius has banned those who profess any religion from serving on the Council, or as a soldier. He says that one who believes in a god is not worthy of the people's trust."

"Any religion? You have others?" Cam asked, curious.

Cicero nodded. "Yes. Most follow the Circle of Heaven, but there are a small number of Christian and Jewish families among the freedmen. The free choice of religion was guaranteed by Caesar himself. However, only to those who professed him as god could be citizens."

"So not all your people are citizens?" Teal'c asked.

"A newborn has citizenship only if both parents are citizens," Cicero replied. "Everyone else is born as a freedman. Most freedmen are descendants of slaves."

"In the past, freedmen of sufficient means were able to purchase citizenship," Alcaeus added. "But Pinarius ended that privilege. Now citizenship is reserved for those who declare their loyalty to him, and taken from those who oppose him."

Another of the rebels spoke up. "Stripping away our citizenship affects not only us, but all of the generations to follow. He gestured to the other men in the room. "Many of us are former citizens, and about an equal number were born as freedmen. But we have all lost our rights."

"And yet, that policy has nearly been his undoing," said Alcaeus. "The birthrate among freedmen has always been higher than that of citizens. That imbalance has swelled with so many losing their citizenship."

"Is that what you meant about the Viceroy 'killing the next generation'?" Cam asked.

Cicero looked ashamed. "No, he meant actually killing them. About 20 years ago, when the population of freedmen first exceeded the citizens, the Council made it illegal for a freedman to have more than one child. After the birth of the first, the mother is sterilized. If she conceives again, the child is aborted. And if born alive, the child is killed."

That did it for Cam. He met Teal'c's eyes, and saw a shared fury there. It was time to make Alcaeus an offer. "Our people have helped others in situations like yours, all over the galaxy. We could be willing to help you, too, if the conditions are right."

"What conditions?"

"Our goal would be to help you achieve peace and justice, not revenge. You'd have to be willing to give up violence as a solution to your problems, and work with the Viceroy and his people to achieve an agreement that works for everyone. And you'd have to protect the rights of those who believe differently than you."

"Suppose that we could agree to those conditions," Alcaeus said. "What would you do if the Viceroy is not willing to negotiate?"

"Our people can _encourage_ him to negotiate, if necessary" Cam said.

Teal'c spoke up. "I was born a slave, on a world called Chulak. It is because of the people of Earth that I am free. I know the value of true freedom. It seems that, regardless of what you call them, your people are not free. You would do well to accept the help of the Tauri."

"The Tauri?" Alcaeus asked.

Teal'c nodded. "It is what my people call those of the First World, Earth. Believe me when I say that millions across the galaxy know freedom because of the Tauri."

"The First World," Alcaeus mused. "It seems we have much to learn."

"We need Daniel Jackson for this," Cam prompted. "He is our expert both in history and negotiations. You should make it your priority to find him, and Vala as well."

* * *

At that moment, Daniel was talking again with Calliope, under the influence of her interrogation drug. She began by asking him about the members of the team.

"Tell me about Vala Mal Doran," she began. "What is her role on the team?"

A hint of a smile appeared on Daniel's face. "She drives me crazy," he said.

"What does that mean?" Calliope asked, confused by the expression.

"She drives me crazy. It's always push, push, push for what she wants. She flirts with me. She insults me. She'd rather have fun than get down to work. I never know when she's serious or when she's putting one over on me. But then, sometimes, I feel like I'm seeing the real her, underneath all of that ... underneath all of that ..." he drifted off.

"Daniel? What about Vala?"

"Hair. Her hair is so beautiful. Sometimes she wears it in these silly ponytails, and she looks like a little girl. And she's always flipping it. But when it's down, it's ... it's ... sometimes I wish I could just run my fingers through it ..."

Calliope sighed. As interesting as this was getting, it was time to change directions.

"Tell me about Mitchell."

So for a while, Daniel told her about Teal'c and the Jaffa rebellion against the Goa'uld. He described how Mitchell had been injured in the battle over Antarctica, but came back from injury to lead SG-1. When he was done, Calliope again raised the issue of Vala.

"Could you tell me more about Vala, about her role on the team," Calliope qualified. She didn't want to hear more about Vala's hair.

"That's a little difficult. Vala's a complicated woman ..." Daniel began, and then hesitated. _How can I explain Vala to anyone?_ he thought. But that thought was quickly followed by another. _Why am I trying to explain Vala to this woman?_

"Daniel?" Calliope asked.

"Oh, she's our technical specialist, knows a lot about Goa'uld technology and culture, and has contacts throughout the galaxy," he began. It may have been that the drug was beginning to wear off, or it might have been that describing Vala required intense concentration, or both, but he suddenly realized that he was drugged. _What do I do_? Almost as soon as he thought the question, the answer came to him. _Play along. Don't let her know that I'm on to them._

* * *

Vala got up and went to the door of the apartment, and put her ears against the door. She heard muffled voices outside. She jumped back in surprise as the door suddenly opened.

"What happened to the knock?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Vala," Gaiana breathed. "I didn't want to wake Chrysanthe." Then her eyes fell to the children on the floor. "Oh. It looks like you've met Nikolaos."

"Yes, I was going to ask you about him."

"It'd be best if we talk in the hall." Gaiana motioned Vala outside, shutting the door softly behind her. There, she saw Hypatia and another elderly woman. They looked frightened.

"What's going on?" Vala asked, softly.

"Hypatia tried to go out this morning to get some bread. But the curfew's still in place. We're not even able to leave the building," Gaiana explained, her voice wavering. "But that's not the worst news."

The elderly woman spoke. "The soldiers, they're arresting everyone connected with the escaped prisoners, their families, even the children. They're loading them on trucks and taking them out of the city."

"Do you have somewhere that you can hide?" Vala asked urgently. She glanced up and down the hall to see if anyone was watching them.

"We can't get out of the building!" Hypatia wailed.

"Mother, be calm!" Gaiana whispered, fiercely. "Remember the children!" Then she turned to Vala. "There won't be any escape for Hypatia and me, or Chrysanthe either. If they come and don't find us, they'll tear the building apart. They'll find us all. But if we stay, then you and Nikolaos can escape." Her voice was steady despite the tears shining in her eyes.

"I don't understand," Vala began.

"Nikolaos is illegal." Gaiana took in Vala's puzzled look, and grabbed her hands, as if to transmit her thoughts by touch. "He's a second child, born after I was sterilized. A miracle from God, but forbidden by the Viceroy. Demetrius and I, we couldn't give him up to be killed. We've hidden him ever since he was born."

Vala was stunned. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but there was no time.

"They'll be here any moment," Gaiana continued. "I'll show you where to go. Please, take Nikolaos and keep him safe. They'll kill him if they find him."

Quickly, she led Vala back into the room. Hypatia followed, dabbing at her eyes. Gaiana knelt on the floor next to her children. She stroked her son's hair for a moment. Then she spoke softly to him. "Nikolaos, this is Vala, I need you take her through the tunnel, and then play the quiet game with her. Can you do that for Mother?"

"Isn't there another way?" Vala protested. "What if we went to the roof?"

"Vala, the tunnel only extends into the next apartment. If the soldiers don't find us here, they'll begin searching the building. They'll find you." She glanced at her mother and daughter. "We should be all right. They'll question us for a while, but then they'll let us go. It's happened to me before."

Hypatia was trembling. "But not so many people at once, not children!

"Mother?" Chrysanthe asked, looking up at Gaiana with frightened eyes. Gaiana, still on her knees, wrapped her arms around both of her children and hugged them fiercly. "I love you both, with my whole heart," she said. "Remember that always." Then she gave one of Nikolaos' hands to Vala. "Take her to the tunnel, and keep her safe."

The small boy nodded. He led Vala over to the kitchen, and opened one of the low cabinets. It was empty. He leaned in, and pushed the back of the cabinet. It fell open, to reveal a short passage into the next apartment. Beyond, Vala could see the other woman from the hall. The boy silently held out a hand to Vala. She took it, and followed him through the tunnel. Then she turned to push the back of the cabinet into place. As she did, she caught a final glimpse of those left behind. Gaina, Hypatia and Chrysanthe were all on their knees, hugging each other firmly and whispering their love to each other. Then, Vala closed the panel. She found a latch and moved it into place, so that the panel couldn't be opened from Gaiana's apartment.

It was about half an hour later when she heard a pounding on the door of Gaiana's apartment. The soldiers had come.

* * *

A/N: I'm in a hurry to post this before going out of town – so review responses next time. I'm taking my laptop & will have Internet access, so I plan on continuing regular updates. Thanks for sticking with the story!


	10. Intervention

**Intervention**

As she waited with Gaiana's neighbor and son for the soldiers to arrive, Vala considered a variety of options for escape. The window in this apartment faced the street, and several stories below, Vala could see a large military vehicle. There were a couple of soldiers standing guard at the front door, but she couldn't see how many, if any, were still inside the vehicle. She assumed that there were probably soldiers stationed at all of the exits to prevent an escape.

When she heard the pounding on Gaiana's door, Vala turned to the woman sitting across from her. "What will happen to them?" she whispered.

"I don't know. Nobody knows. Nothing like this has happened before. It could be that they will be questioned, and then released. Maybe they'll be held until all of the escaped prisoners are recaptured."

Through the thin walls, Vala could hear dishes breaking and objects being thrown around Gaiana's apartment. _They already have so little,_ she thought, angrily. "They won't be ..." she hesitated, thinking of Nikolaos. She didn't want to suggest that they'd be harmed or killed within his hearing.

"I don't know," the woman repeated, guessing her meaning. "Sometimes people get arrested, and they don't come back, but no one knows what happens to them."

There was a cry of pain from Gaiana's apartment.

"I'm not going to take that chance," Vala replied. _If they'd kill Nikoloas just for existing, they won't have any scruples about suspected rebels._ Vala's bakery bag was sitting next to her. She had remembered to grab just before going through the 'tunnel.' The neighbor gaped in amazement as Vala activated the zat, and then kicked off her shoes.

Vala listened again for a moment. "I've counted three or four of them. I'm going to ambush them in the hall." She went to the door, and slowly opened it, just wide enough that she could get a glimpse of the area outside Gaiana's door. She could see a soldier standing guard at the door to Gaiana's apartment. Other than that, the hall was empty.

_Now or never_, she thought. Holding the zat behind her back, Vala leaned her upper body out of the door. She put a sleepy expression on her face.

"What's going on?" she yawned.

"Get back inside," the soldier snapped at her.

"All right," Vala replied, and moved as if going back into the apartment. The soldier relaxed slightly. Then, Vala whipped the zat around from behind her back. She fired a quick shot, and he fell into the doorway.

A started curse came from inside the apartment. Another soldier appeared at the door; then fell with a strangled cry as Vala zatted him. There was a sudden burst of gunfire from within the apartment. Vala jumped back as bullets sprayed the hall. She heard startled shouts from the apartment directly across from Gaiana's.

Now it was Vala who swore. _Time to end this_.

She raced to the tunnel between the two apartments. Silently, she shifted the latch on the back of the cabinet, and then pushed the panel open. She found that the cabinet door on the other side was standing open. Either Gaiana had forgotten to close it behind Vala and Nikoloas – or more likely – the soldiers had opened it in their search of the apartment. Either way, Vala had time to get a good view of the two remaining soldiers in the apartment before they were aware of her.

One had wrapped an arm around Gaiana's neck, and was dragging her toward the door. He was armed with a short machine gun, not unlike a P-90, and had it pointed at the door. The other was following, his own weapon held ready in his right hand. With his left hand, he was dragging Chrysanthe by her hair. Hypatia lay still, crumpled in the sleeping corner. There was blood on her face.

Hoping that Chyrsanthe's hair would conduct little of zat's energy, Vala extended her arm through the cabinet, aimed at the soldier pulling the child, and squeezed the trigger. His hands cluched convulsively as he fell, so that the little girl tumbled down with him. A few bullets spit out the end of his gun, burying themselves in the floor of the apartment.

Before he hit the ground, Vala zatted the soldier holding Gaiana. They both collapsed to the floor. Vala pushed herself into the room, and ran over to Chrysanthe. She was rolling on the ground in agony, holding her head.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"I'm sorry," Vala said, pulling the child into her arms. "I had to make the bad man fall down. But I didn't mean to hurt you." She used her free hand to wipe Chrysanthe's tear-streaked cheeks. "Do you think you can get up?" The child nodded. Then Vala went to check on Hypatia. To her relief, Hypatia stirred and put a hand to her face. There was a short but deep gash over one eyebrow, where a lump was forming. Vala guessed that one of the soldiers had used the end of his weapon to hit her.

"Chrysanthe, can you be a big girl for me? Go to the sink and get some water, and use it to wipe your grandmother's face. I'm going to help your mother."

Vala sighed as she knelt next to Gaiana. Though the soldier holding her had taken most of the blast, she had been knocked out cold. She was quite thin, but nearly as tall as Vala herself, and carrying her very far was going to be a challenge.

"Made short work of them, didn't you dear?"

Vala turned to see the elderly neighbor peering in the front door of the apartment, over the unmoving soldiers who lay in the doorway. To Vala's surprise, the woman bent down and picked up one of their guns. She gave Vala an appraising look. "You carry yourself like a soldier," she said. "I don't suppose you have a plan for getting out of here?"

"Of course," Vala replied. "I'm going to take out any soldiers between here and the front door, and then use their vehicle to get as far from here as we can."

"Let's get her up," the elderly woman said, gesturing to Gaiana. "If someone heard those shots outside, reinforcements will be here any moment."

Hypatia was already on her feet, and a little of the color had returned to her face. Vala took the second zat out of her bag. She re-closed the bag and handed it to Chrysanthe.

"I need you to carry this for me, and keep it safe. Don't loose it! Can you do that?" The little girl nodded solemnly.

Together, Hypatia and the neighbor lifted Gaiana to her feet, and then carried her between them as the group moved out into the hall. A few doors were open, as curiosity got the better of several residents on Gaiana's hallway.

"Close your doors!," the elderly woman called out. "More soldiers are coming! Don't let them think you saw anything!"

Vala had a pang of self-doubt. By interfering with the soldiers trying to take Gaiana's family, she may have put everyone in the building at risk. And once those soldiers woke up and reported in, the authorities would know she'd been there. The zat alone made Vala easy to identify. But it was too late now – her only choice was to see her plan through.

The group moved into the stairwell, and started down. They'd descended a couple of levels when they heard the clatter of soldiers coming up. Vala put out a warning hand, and everyone froze. She continued on alone, moving silently in her bare feet. Then she saw the tip of a gun pop around the corner below her. Vala fired directly at the gun, and enjoyed a moment of satisfaction as the zat's charge jumped to the soldier holding the gun. She heard a series of thuds and grunts as he fell backwards into his comrades.

The soldiers paused for a moment, deciding how best to face the threat above them. Vala didn't wait, but instead slipped quietly down to the corner. She pointed one zat around the corner, and fired several shots blindly. Then she cautiously peered around the corner. Three soldiers were piled there, unconscious – or dead, she wasn't sure which. She checked on the group behind her, and was relieved to see that Gaiana was awake. Vala waved the group on, and they continued down to the first floor, stepping carefully around and over the bodies in their way.

Once they reached the entrance, Vala was relieved to find it unguarded. She hoped that the soldiers she had seen there earlier were the same ones now lying in the stairwell. If so, all that remained was to take care of the ones at the vehicle. Thanks to the strict curfew, the street was empty of any other traffic. Vala put the zats behind her back, and brazenly walked up to the driver's side, bright smile on her face. The two soldiers in the truck never had a chance.

A short time later, one of the soldiers was driving the truck as it approached the edge of the city. Vala sat next to him, holding a zat to his side. She was wearing the uniform of the other soldier, who was now restrained in the back, being guarded (to his shame) by a group of women and children. The riot helmet and vest, though too big for her, completely obscured Vala's feminine appearance.

They had been able to drive through two checkpoints without being stopped. But Vala grew increasingly apprehensive as time passed, expecting at any moment for the checkpoints to be notified about a stolen military vehicle. Her heart began to pound as they pulled up behind a line of similar trucks. Each one was being stopped before it left the city. Another truck pulled up behind them, so that they were now trapped.

All too soon, it was their turn to be inspected.

"Orders?"

Vala poked the driver with the zat as a reminder of the correct response. He produced the piece of paper authorizing him to deliver prisoners to the interment camp, along with his ID. The guard briefly examined them, paying more attention to the orders than the ID.

"Move out," the guard responded, waving them through.

It wasn't until the last checkpoint was out of sight that Vala permitted herself a sigh of relief. She directed the driver to pull off the road.

The truck following them pulled up alongside.

"Having trouble?" the driver of the other truck asked.

"Some sort of engine problem," the driver of Vala's truck managed to choke out, at her prodding. "I've already called it in."

"I've got room. We'll transfer your prisoners to my truck."

Ten minutes later, Vala was feeling very satisfied with herself. Now she was driving the truck, with Gaiana's neighbor sitting next to her to give directions. Several more women and children had joined Gaiana's family in the back. Meanwhile, they left behind them another truck with several unconscious soldiers restrained inside.

"Which way?" Vala asked, pulling off the riot helmet.

"Take this road up into the mountains," the woman answered, gesturing to a steep dirt track that curved out of sight among the trees.

Vala gave the road a dubious look.

"Where does it go?"

"Someplace safe," the woman answered. "You know, it's ironic," she continued, "Gaiana's husband wasn't a rebel. Her family was completely innocent, and yet look at what they've suffered. _I, _on the other hand, am not so innocent. Who would suspect a harmless old woman of being a dangerous rebel?" She cradled the gun in her lap. It was pointed in Vala's general direction.

Vala swallowed and tried to remain calm. "So, let me guess. We're on our way to a rebel stronghold?"

"Yes, dear. But don't worry, you really will be safe there."

Despite her assurances, Vala couldn't help feeling that she was exchanging one danger for another. _What would Daniel say?_ she thought. _Out of the frying pan, and into the fire? _But with no knowledge of the city or surrounding area, she didn't see any options.

After a long hour of bouncing over a rough dirt road, they arrived at the stronghold – a rambling, two-story structure built of wood and stone that blended into the surrounding forest. Vala could see armed rebels patrolling the grounds. Several came running when they spotted a military vehicle approaching. Vala came to a stop, and then put her hands up.

"Don't shoot! We're friendly!" she called out.

At the rebel's command, she and the elderly woman climbed out of the truck, keeping their hands raised. It didn't take long for the rebels to discover the load of women and children in the back of the vehicle. Now more men poured out of the building, some evidently hoping to find a family member among the escapees.

"Gaiana!" A man was running towards them, his face full of joy. "All of you here! I can't believe it!" He ran to Gaiana, and swept her up in his arms. Then he he knelt and gathered his children into a family embrace. For a while, none of them spoke, content to hold each other, crying and laughing.

Vala was absorbed in watching Gaiana's family, with her own sense of joy at having helped them, but also with a touch of loss and loneliness. Where was her own 'family?'

"Vala!"

She looked up at the doorway in astonishment. There, looking every bit as shocked as she felt, were Cam and Teal'c. She smiled brightly at them.

"Surprised to see me?" Then, her smile faded a bit.

"Where's Daniel?"

* * *

A/N: I can't say it enough – I really enjoy reading your reviews! Thanks for staying with the story.

About chapter 10: I originally planned to kill off Giana, her mother and daughter, leaving Vala to care for Nikolaos. (She was going to call him Nick). The soldiers were going to shoot them in the street as an warning to others. That seemed too harsh, so my next plan was to have Gaiana and Hypatia die in the internment camp, but Vala would arrive in time to rescue Chrysanthe. Then I realized that Vala wouldn't let any of them die, if she was in a position to prevent it. She was right in the next room with two zats and a hand device! The woman who took out the entire crew of the Prometheus (admittedly, in a super-suit) was certainly capable of handling a few soldiers. I hope you like the much happier result. Up next – the answer to Vala's question!

**Review responses for Chapter 8: **

**Enajnitram** – yeah, Daniel's still having a rough time. More on him coming up in chapter 10. Hope you're still enjoying the story!

**Khentkawes **– as you predicted, it didn't take Daniel too long to figure out what was going on. Getting out of the situation may take a little longer.

**HappyBear 2005 **– and more you will have :)

**HAZMOT** – hopefully chapter 9 answered your question about why Vala was left alone with the children – Gaiana was in a bit of a panic, and people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do when they're panicked. And I don't mind the cliché a bit!

**gioia-gg** – hope you liked the detail on the planet's history in chapter 9. I've tried not to pour out too much exposition all at once . . . just enough to provide motivation for the characters' allegiances and actions. Thanks for the encouragement!

**Wings90 **- several reviewers had very different guesses about the identity of Daniel's interrogators. I don't want to give it away just yet, because I hope that the mystery makes the story more interesting and enjoyable. But all will be answered in the next few chapters ...

**acer-sigma** – what _would _Vala do if she came across Daniel in that state? The "old" Vala would certainly take advantage of the situation, but the new one knows him better. I'm not so sure that she would. I do promise that they will eventually run into each other again!

**Review responses for Chapter 9**

**BkWurm1** – Good catch! I wondered if someone was going to call me on using all Roman names for the gods, except for Athena (who I should have identified as "Minerva.") But since the goa'uld impersonating this goddess went by the name Athena in _Memento Mori, _I used her 'preferred' name rather than the ones the Romans gave her. If you've noticed, I've also used Greek names for rebels and freedmen, and Roman names for the Viceroy and his cronies. If you're curious, I picked those specific gods because they're the primary ones that the Gauls worshiped, according to a quote I found online from Julius Caesar.

**Astrollama** – thanks so much for the nice compliment! I hope you like the rest of the story as well.

**gioia-gg** – lots of great observations! BTW -- the Caesar presented as the chief "god" was a real person who ruled Gaul as a junior co-emperor under Diocletian.

**HAZMOT** – thanks so much for your encouraging comments. You've really picked up on a lot of the themes of the story. The Nazi regime is a definitely one of my models for the Viceroy's government, but unfortunately, there seem to be common themes in all dictatorships. In addition to Hitler, you could find parallels to the policies of Myanmar/Burma (rule by military junta), China (one child policy, religious persecution), Iraq under Saddam Hussein (who killed two sons-in-law), Zimbabwe (food as a weapon), and Argentina ("the disappeared"). As I've said before, this is a fiction, not a political statement, but certainly the universality of dictatorships is a major theme.

**acer-sigma **– you're right, Cam is rushing in to offer help that he may not be able to deliver. Although, this isn't as much a civil war as it is a genocide. And has Cicero told the truth about what the Viceroy wanted him to do? If it's not an accident that he's there, then the Viceroy had to have prior knowledge of the attack on the prison – which would indicate a mole among the rebels. Ahh, mystery!

**Enajnitram** – thanks for the encouragement. More on Daniel in chapter 11!


	11. Trust

**Trust**

"Daniel, please tell me about the weapons cache," Calliope asked again, with just a hint of pleading in her tone.

Daniel sat up a little higher in the bed. "Why do you keep asking about that?" he replied, giving her the pleasant, slightly unfocused look that he hoped made it appear that he was still under the influence of her injection. "I told you before that we were just explorers. Our probe sent back images that made your museum look like an abandoned temple. They're all over the galaxy, you know. I remember one we found, that was dedicated to ..."

Calliope smiled in response, but inwardly, she was growing anxious. She had so far avoided pressing Daniel on the subject of the alien weapons. If she pushed too soon, before he trusted her completely, he might become suspicious. That could destroy any chance of getting the information from him. So instead she had focused her questions on his travels. Every now and then this had created an opening for her to ask about their purpose in coming to Gallia Nova. So far, his responses had always led away from a discussion of the weapons. Her partner was growing impatient with her progress.

She realized that Daniel had asked her something that she hadn't really heard. "What did you say?"

"I need to get up," he said. "I feel strong enough. May I please? I'd really like something to eat, and I'm tired of eating in bed."

_He has to trust me, _Calliope thought. _If I don't let him get up, he'll get suspicious._

"All right," she replied.

He started to get up, but then just as quickly, laid back down. "I need some clothes."

She smiled at him. "I'll see if I have something of Lysander's that will fit you. You're about the same height, but a bit broader in the shoulders. You'll need a shirt that we can get on over that sling. Just give me a minute." She slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. She was startled to see her partner standing there, listening.

Her mouth opened in surprise, but all that came out was, "M -- umph." Her voice was abruptly cut off as Lysander grabbed her, putting a hand over her mouth. Then he released her and gestured for her to follow him. He led her into the other upstairs bedroom.

"Stupid woman!" Lysander growled, keeping his voice low. "He could have heard you,"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that you were listening at the door!"

"Why are you leaving him? You should be spending every moment he's awake getting the answers that we need!"

"He asked to get up and get dressed. I can't keep refusing or he'll get suspicious," Calliope replied defiantly. "Letting him have some movement around this house is an important step in building the relationship we must have if I'm going to get any useful information. You know that!"

"I know that we're on our second day with him and you've gotten nothing useful. Are you sure that he isn't aware of what you're doing?"

Calliope hesitated just a fraction of a second.

"You aren't sure, are you?"

"It's difficult to tell," she admitted, backing away a few steps. "He's still talking freely like he should be, but it's gotten harder for me to control the direction of the conversation. Every time I bring up the subject of a weapons cache ..."

"He changes the subject. I gathered that from listening to your recordings." Lysander reached out and stroked her hair, but his dark eyes were cold. "You have the rest of the day. Let him get dressed, go downstairs and eat something, if you wish." His hand moved down to wrap lightly around her neck. "But get those answers. If you don't, then tomorrow, we'll start doing things my way."

* * *

Vala's eyes lit up when a loaf of bread and a mug with a hot, sweet drink was set before her, followed by a tray of cheese and fruit. She was sitting with Cam, Teal'c, Cicero, Alcaeus and a few other members of the rebel leadership at a table in their main hall, where the second meal of the day was underway. All of the recently-arrived women and children were being fed.

"I don't understand how you have so much food here when there is very little for the people in the city," she mused.

"There is plenty of food for the citizens," Alcaeus replied. "It is only the freedmen who go hungry. But there are meadows nearby where we grow food, and of course, we gather quite a bit more from the forest itself. Some we steal." Then he looked over Vala's shoulder.

"Aleka, please join us," he said.

Vala looked up to see Gaiana's elderly neighbor approaching the table. _So that's her name_, she thought. They'd never had time to be properly introduced.

"Aleka told us of your exploits," Alcaeus said. "Quite impressive – a single woman overcoming nearly a dozen of the Viceroy's soldiers. I would like to get a closer look at these weapons of yours."

_Then I'm glad that I don't have them all,_ Vala thought. She had handed Cam and Teal'c each a zat as soon as she'd been reunited with them. That left her with the hand device, which, as far as she knew, only she could operate. If it came to a fight, it would be more of a challenge for the rebels to take down three armed opponents rather than one. Harder, but not impossible. Alcaeus was almost as large and imposing as Teal'c, and he was sitting right next to her. As Vala mentally calculated the odds of taking on all of the rebels in the room, she realized with some anxiety that Teal'c wasn't looking well. His breathing seemed labored, and she could make out a bead of sweat along his brow.

"No doubt," Cam interjected, choosing his words carefully. "As I said before, my people are willing and able to helping you, especially if it leads to an alliance that is beneficial for everyone."

"Then you would be willing to demonstrate them to us?"

"Perhaps, but we would need your assurance that we'd be permitted to keep them. It would be a sign of your good faith to us."

"Agreed," Alcaeus nodded, "for the time being. But you must understand that our situation is desperate. We cannot leave our women and children to die in the internment camp. If you will not let us have your weapons, then we will expect you to fight beside us."

Without waiting for Cam's answer, Alcaeus turned to Vala. "You were arrested at the museum with the others. Surely you would have been searched. How is it that you came to possess these weapons?"

_I'd like to know the answer to that one, too, _Cam thought.

"The weapons that I found came from the museum itself. I tricked Quartus into taking me back there. It was easy, really. They were just lying in open cases." Though her answer was directed to Alcaeus, Vala's eyes flicked over to meet Cam's. He had been with the rebels for a while, and would have a better feel for their trustworthiness. At Cam's minute, but encouraging nod, she continued. "The curator evidently thought they were decorative," she added with a chuckle.

"Were there more?" Alcaeus demanded.

"Yes, a few," Vala replied. "But I expect that the government has removed them by now."

"Where would they take them?" Cam wondered aloud.

Cicero spoke up. "I know." He hesitated a moment, as all eyes turned to him. "They would take them to the Security Council's research facility. It's where all of the weapons research is conducted."

Cam gave Cicero a suspicious look. "And you know this because ..."

"I do have a _few_ friends in the research community," he replied, in a slightly hurt tone. "I know some people that work there."

"Would they do medical research there, too?"

"Only if it was weapons related, I think," Cicero replied.

"Teal'c here carried some medicine in his pack that he needs on a regular basis." Cam said, gesturing toward the Jaffa. "Is that where they would take it?"

"I think so," Cicero responded. "But I can't be sure."

"Could you find out?"

"Yes ... maybe. I don't know if my arrest is public knowledge. If it is, then no one will talk to me."

Cam turned to Alcaeus. "Can you find that out?"

"It has already been done," Alcaeus replied. "Our people in the city have heard nothing of his arrest."

Cam sighed. He had to ask Alcaeus the question, even if it put Cicero at risk . "Do you trust him?"

"Not entirely. We did search him thoroughly upon his arrival and found no recording or transmitting devices. And everything that he told us about the events in the museum has proven, so far, to be true. Of course, if we find out differently ..." he glowered at Cicero.

"You can trust me!" Cicero sputtered. "You can trust me to tell the truth, anyway." His voice softened a bit. "I don't want to get directly involved in the fighting, or get any of my friends killed. But I won't lie to you. Like I said before, I believe this is about the future of our people. There is so much that we could learn from these people. And if there really are worlds and races that would harm us, like Mitchell said, then we should stop fighting each other and prepare to defend ourselves."

Another rebel spoke up. "And what about these people?" he said, gesturing to the members of SG-1. "How do we know that they are worthy of their trust? All we have had from them so far is words."

"Not just words," Aleka replied. "You have a captured military vehicle and several freed women and children that prove otherwise. If that is what just one woman of these people can accomplish, imagine what a team of them could do!"

"We could just as easily have concerns about trusting you," Cam added. "After all, you kept Teal'c and me tied up in your attic for an entire night."

"We apologized for that --" Alcaeus began.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem," Cam interrupted. "The point is, there's going to have to be some level of trust between us if any of us are going to accomplish our objectives." He pointed at Alcaeus. "You guys want to be treated as equals with the citizens, have the freedom to worship the way you want, have enough to eat. I can understand that."

Cam turned to Cicero. "You want to have your research validated, make contact with alien worlds, help your people into their future. I can understand that, too." He gestured to Vala and Teal'c. "We just want to find our missing team member, and get home in one piece. I'm sure you all can understand that. And there is one person standing in the way of all of our goals -- the Viceroy."

Cam leaned forward, putting an elbow on the table, and dropped his voice a little. "If we can manage to trust each other, then I have a proposition that will benefit us all."

* * *

Daniel didn't have to wait long before Calliope returned to the room with a loose shirt and some pants. She helped him get the shirt over his injured shoulder, and then gave him a moment of privacy while he manuvered into the pants. When he tried to stand, he found that his legs were unsteady from spending the better part of two days in bed. Except for a few brief trips to use the small bathroom, Calliope hadn't permitted him to get up at all. She called for Lysander to help him down the stairs.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't find any shoes to fit you," Calliope said, as they reached the first floor.

"That's all right," Daniel replied. "You've already done so much for me." He was a bit surprised at how easily the words came off his tongue. _I guess I'm getting better at deception_, he thought, with just a touch of dismay. _That's what experiences like this do for you._

Calliope and Lysander eased Daniel into a wooden chair at the kitchen table, accidentally jarring the elbow of his injured shoulder against the armrest. He couldn't help grimacing in pain. Calliope looked at him with concern. "You need some more painkiller," she said gently.

Daniel had learned that his objections were useless, and sat quietly as she gave him yet another injection. _How many does that make?_ he wondered. He'd lost count. But while the drug gave him an irresistible impulse to talk, he had realized that he could exert some control over what he said.

"I've told you so much about myself and my world," he began, "but I've learned very little about you."

"What would you like to know?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

"Well, to start, what do you call this place?"

"Gallia Nova."

"New Gaul." Daniel allowed himself a moment of excitement that his theory about their origin had been right. "What do you know about your history, where your people came from before Gallia Nova?"

"There was no 'before here' ... our people began here," she said impatiently. "There are myths about our beginnings in a mystical far-off land, but only the weak-minded believe them."

_Even after meeting someone from another world_? Daniel mused. But instead of challenging her, he changed the subject. "Then tell me about you. How long have you and Lysander been married?"

She hesitated. "Two ... years, yes, two years next month." It would take a few minutes for the drug to take effect, so she decided to let him direct the conversation, for the moment.

"Any children?"

"No, not yet. Lysander's been in prison most of that time, remember?"

"Oh, right." Daniel struggled against the growing fuzziness in his head. "How long was he in prison?"

"About a year and a half, not long after we were married."

"Any other family?"

"All I ever knew about my father was his name, Caelius. He was a citizen. My mother Sybil died several years ago."

"Why you didn't take your father's name?"

"What?"

"Your name is Greek in origin, and so is your mother's. But in Roman culture, a daughter always took her father's name."

Calliope found herself intrigued by the conversation. He spoke of Roman culture as something that existed in the past, but it was all she had ever known. To be a citizen was to be a Roman, and to be a freedman was to be a Greek. The two were synonymous. "Well, you are right, except that it was not by my choice. Only citizens may have Roman names."

"But why aren't you a citizen?"

His simple question startled her. "Both parents must be a citizen if a child is to be born as a citizen," she replied. "Because my mother was a freedman, this was denied to me. It is how things have always been."

"That's strange," Daniel said with effort, struggling to keep his eyes open. "If your people came from Gaul, I'd expect there to be ... more evidence of Gallic culture, but I've seen ... very little." Then he hesitated. "I ... I think I'd better lie down now." The room around him blurred and then faded.

He heard Calliope speaking, as if from a great distance. "Daniel, can you make it up the stairs?"

"I don't think so. You gave me too much this time," he blurted. _Oh, crap_, he thought, just before he passed out. _I probably shouldn't have said that._

* * *

Shortly after sundown, several vehicles left the dirt track that led from rebel stronghold and turned onto the paved highway. All but one of the vehicles headed toward the interment camp south of the city. The remaining vehicle was the military truck that Vala had hijacked. The truck followed the other vehicles for a while, and then turned toward the city itself. A couple of rebels were driving, dressed in the uniforms Vala had provided. In the back was a team of about a dozen more, plus Vala and Cam. All were heavily armed.

Their parting from Teal'c had been brief. Refusing to give in to his weakness completely and lie down, the Jaffa was sitting on a low cot. He leaned against the wall behind him.

"I would go with you, if I could," Teal'c had said, "but in my present condition, I would be a liability."

"Liability? You? Nah," Cam responded lightly. But then his expression turned earnest. "You just hang in there 'till we get back."

* * *

A/N: Thanks, everyone, for continuing to follow this story. As always, your reviews are appreciated! (Waiting with excitement for the next batch ...)

HAZMOT: I'm glad you like the action in the last chapter. I thought it might be a while before I could update, and I didn't want to leave you guys with a cliffhanger! BTW - the rebel is Gaiana's neighbor, not her mother. I guess it was confusing since I didn't refer to her by name. I assumed that they were just too busy with soldiers to introduce themselves. I took care of that in this chapter.

Khentkawes: I tried to address the issue of trustworthiness in this chapter. The rebels and SG-1 need to trust each other to get what they want. Though it is risky for both parties, it's the only option I've left them :)

gioia-gg: I had actually written the chapter with Gaiana being dragged off while Vala sat in the next room, and I just couldn't buy it. I liked writing the reunion scene so much better. I guess I'm just a romantic at heart. I'm glad that you liked it, too. Poor Daniel, he'd connect the dots better if Calliope would quit drugging him.

Ashaman92: Thanks for the review! Vala may just get a chance to use the ribbon device before this story's over. I agree, it would be fun for her to use the personal shield. However, since she got it from the museum, I've concluded that it's an old one that doesn't have the shield (it was a new invention when it first appeared in season one).

BkWurm1: I'm very glad that you find the story meaningful -- makes all the effort to write it worthwhile!

Enajnitram: ;)

acer-sigma: Vala and the boys had better hurry up -- it's about to get worse for Daniel. I noticed that you posted an update to one of your stories. Now that this chapter is up, I'm off to read it. :)


	12. Escalation

**Escalation**

Daniel's first awareness was of pain and stiffness in his neck and shoulders. He felt that he was sitting in a chair, but his head was hanging down, and evidently, he'd been in this position for a long time. Slowly, he lifted his head, and groaned slightly as the muscles in his neck protested the motion. He opened his eyes to find that the room he was in was almost totally dark, illuminated only by a faint glow coming in the small window. Streetlights, perhaps, or the lights of the house next door. He wondered how late it was. He guessed that it had been afternoon when Calliope had allowed him to come down to the kitchen. As he adjusted to the low lighting, he began to make out vague objects – another chair, a table, cabinets on the wall. _I'm still in the __kitchen_, he realized. There was a lighter shape in the corner across from him. He squinted, trying to make it out, and finally realized that he was looking at Calliope.

His next revelation was that his hands were cuffed in front of him, and that he'd been tied to the chair by several thick strands of rope that wound around his chest. A tentative pull on his feet confirmed that they'd been tied separately to the legs of the chair. He let out a small sigh of frustration. _This just isn't my day. _He rolled his head to the side and back, trying to loosen the sore muscles.

"Daniel?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Calliope, what's going on?" he responded, keeping his voice low like hers. He was pretty sure that he knew, but wanted her to say it.

"Marius," she whispered, rising from her spot across the room, and slipping over to kneel next to him.

"What?"

"Lysander – his real name is Marius. He's not my husband: he's a member of the Federal Security Council. He had you brought here for questioning after the attack on the prison. He said that if I didn't get answers from you by tomorrow, then he was going to take charge. He overheard what you said just before you passed out, and told me it was over. He's the one who tied you up like this. Now that you're awake, I'm supposed to go get him."

Daniel was unsurprised that Lysander hadn't been who he'd claimed to be. "So is your name actually Calliope?"

"Yes, that part was the truth." She looked up at him, and even in the darkness, he could see that she'd been crying. "I'm so sorry," she continued. "It's my fault, giving you too much of the serum. I was just so desperate to get you to talk. I thought that boosting the dose would help. Instead, you slept half the day. I've condemned us both." She buried her face in her hands.

"Condemned us both?" Daniel prodded.

"I hope that he'll just demote me for this failure, perhaps revoke my security clearance. But it's possible that he'll accuse me of sympathizing with you. If he does that --," she paused, and shuddered. Then she looked up into Daniel's eyes.

"Daniel, if I don't get those answers before he wakes up, then he's going to hurt you, badly. I've never seen him question a prisoner myself, but I've heard from some who have." She reached up, and put a hand on his arm. "Please, Daniel," she begged. "Listening to you, I've grown to care about you. I don't want to see that happen. The information you're protecting isn't worth it."

Daniel wondered briefly if this was yet another ploy to get information from him, or if her concern was genuine. It didn't really matter either way.

"That's where you're wrong, Calliope," he said in a voice that was firm, yet gentle. "I've seen entire worlds destroyed by misguided people with powerful weapons. If I could prevent that from happening here, then it _would_ be worth it to me. The ironic thing is that I don't have the information that Lys--, uh, Marius apparently wants. I don't know the location, quantity, or even the possible nature of any weapons hidden on this planet."

"He already knows that your team came here looking for weapons! The security cameras at the museum recorded your team leader making a comment about them!"

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. _Thanks, Cam_. He had wondered why weapons were the focus of their questioning.

"Look, all you have to do is tell me where to find them. Please – for both our sakes!"

"Calliope, that's not the only option. You could just let me go," he said, lifting his cuffed hands toward her. "You could even come with me."

She hesitated. "I ... can't. Where would we go?" She got back on her feet and backed up a few steps. "There's a curfew, and even if we evaded that somehow, the rebels would probably capture us. That would be much worse."

"Worse than this?" Daniel shook his head in disbelief. "Don't you understand that I'm actually trying to help your people? Please, just let me go."

Even in the dim lighting, he could see the sorrow on her face. "I can't."

He drooped in the chair, and sighed. "Yeah, that didn't work with Chaka, either."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Let's just say this isn't the first time I've been in this position." He thought for a minute. "I do wonder why I feel so different than the previous times I woke up. Everything was fuzzy before, but now it's all clear." _And painful_, he thought. His head was throbbing. On the bright side, his head and neck hurt so much that he didn't really feel anything from the separated shoulder.

"I gave you a stimulant a few minutes ago. Marius wanted you to be alert when he --."

"Oh." _Great, _he thought to himself. _Yet another alien woman gets me addicted to something._ He shuddered. He hoped the stuff he'd given her wasn't actually addicting, but with his luck ... "Well, could you at least let me use the facilities before Marius gets started? I've been sitting here a long time. And once he wakes up, I guess I'll be sitting here a while longer. I won't hurt you, I promise."

She thought about it for a while. "All right, but don't try to escape. You won't get far. Both doors are locked, and I'm armed." She loosened the knot on the ropes around his chest, and pulled it around to the front so he could reach it. Then she backed away, producing a gun from under her apron. After he freed himself of all but the cuffs, she marched him to the bathroom, keeping her distance. He was disappointed to find that there was no window in the bathroom, as he'd hoped. While he sorted through various options for "Plan B," he took advantage of the chance to relieve himself. After all, he had been in that chair a _very_ long time.

The only thing he could think of was to somehow get the gun away from her without either one of them getting hurt. He opened the door a tiny fraction, but she wasn't in his line of sight. He opened the door a little wider. Suddenly, it was pulled from his grasp. Marius was standing there, holding a large handgun, with a predatory smile on his face. Using the gun, he motioned for Daniel to return to the kitchen.

"It looks like we're ready to start doing things my way," Marius said. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

* * *

Cam was worried, and it wasn't just the normal pre-mission jitters. A raid on an hostile facility should be preceded by more time for intelligence gathering and planning. But Teal'c didn't have that much time. Cam's gravest concern was their sole information source: a researcher who was a close friend of Cicero's. Cam had listened as Cicero, using Gallia Nova's equivalent of a telephone, passionately explained the significance of SG-1's arrival through the Stargate. He'd heard Cicero describe a dying alien's desperate need for life-saving medicine. To Cam's surprise, Cicero's friend was apparently swayed by his arguments, and confirmed the presence of the tretonin in the research facility. The friend had even described the likely location of the medicine and the best way to gain access to the building. But there were so many things that could go wrong! What if the friend had lied? What if he betrayed them to the authorities? What if the authorities had listened to the call and were waiting for them even now?

Realizing that he needed to get his mind off the "what if's," Cam turned to the small group of rebels in the back of the truck. "Okay, let's review the plan. We're going to stop down the street from the facility. You two," he said, pointing at a couple of the youngest rebels, "are going to guard the truck and watch for any signs of an ambush. Once we're in, Vala and and I are going to take the lead. We're going to use these," he said, holding up his zat, "to take down as many guards as possible without killing them. Our goal is to retrieve the weapons and medicine we need while keeping the body count low."

"And why is that, again?" one of the rebels grumbled. His finger was literally twitching on the trigger of the gun cradled in his arms.

Cam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So my people can help negotiate a settlement with the Viceroy, if we get the chance." He gestured to himself and Vala. "He'll be more open to us as negotiators if we haven't killed off a bunch of his soldiers. Is that clear?" There were a few mutters, but all of the rebels in the truck nodded their agreement. Cam decided to be satisfied with that.

Fortunately, their target was in a section of the city that Quartus considered secure. The soldiers who would have normally protected it were engaged elsewhere, allowing the rebels to reach the facility without being challenged. Once they stopped, Cam motioned for everyone to get out of the truck. Hidden by the darkness, they quickly made their way through a series of barricades that were designed to stop vehicles, but not people on foot. Cam spotted a couple of soldiers walking the perimeter, and disabled them with two quick shots from his zat.

The group huddled by a low retaining wall just outside the employee entrance. Cam signaled to one of the rebels, and the young man dashed up to the building, dropped a package outside the door, and then ran back to join them behind the wall. A moment later, there was a loud explosion, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Cam looked over the wall to see that the door had been blown off its hinges. Alarms began blaring.

"All right, let's go!" he shouted to the assembled team, already pouring through the now opened series of doors. "We've got approximately two minutes to retrieve our targets and get the heck out!"

The raiding party broke into several smaller groups. Cam's group headed in the direction of the medical research labs, according to the map that Cicero had drawn. Vala's headed down to search for the weapons section, looking for zats, staffs, and anything else they could retrieve. Cam had just found the medical section when he heard the distinctive sound of Vala's zat, followed by other weapons fire and shouting. Despite his urge to run back and help her, he forced himself to slow down and look carefully for any sign of the tretonin.

_There!_ He spotted several distinctive tubes laid out neatly on a table, next to some diagnostic equipment. He carefully scooped them up and wrapped them in a cloth he'd brought to keep them from shattering. Then he stuffed the wad into the pocket of the jacket the rebels had provided him. With a quick wave, he directed his group back out of the room and into the hall.

The sounds of gunfire were drawing closer – evidently, the weapons section was better guarded than the medical research area.

"Cameron!" Vala shouted, in the distance.

"Got it!" he yelled back. "Let's get out of here!"

A few moments later, he was amazed to see her dart out of a side corridor carrying a P-90 in addition to her zat. She was followed closely by her group of rebels, several of which were carrying most of the rest of SG-1's gear.

Vala's eyes blazed with triumph as she held aloft her treasure. "I got my camera back!"

* * *

Meanwhile, rebels were launching simultaneous attacks throughout the city and at the internment camp. The still night air was punctuated by the intermittent report of gunfire; and brightened by the flickering glow of scattered fires. Smoke hung heavy over the city, eerily illuminated by the streetlights below.

News of the rebel attacks spread quickly. Throughout the business district, hastily-formed groups of freedmen began roaming the streets. Armed with axes, knives, and guns taken from overwhelmed soldiers, some looted the fashionable restaurants and elegant shops, while others came behind and set them ablaze. In answer to the checkpoints of the security council, several groups built their own barricades across the key roads and prepared to defend them.

The moment had come that the rebels prayed for, and the Viceroy's government feared. The Circle of Heaven's insurrection was now a full-blown civil war.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Looking forward to your reviews!

Khentkawes: Thanks for the encouragement - I'm trying hard to write in-character.

Enajnitram: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, poor Daniel's still stuck. I can't say anymore without spoiling the plot :)

Ashaman92: I hope you enjoy Continuum! Just a couple more days!

BkWurm1: Sorry for making you wait a little longer than usual for this update. I had some rewriting to do after I didn't kill off Gaiana and her family. I'm going to try to hurry up future postings. Glad you're still enjoying the story!

gioa-gg: So glad you liked it!

Happybear 2005: Thanks!

Wings90: Daniel didn't even get the chance to try to convince them otherwise. It wouldn't have worked anyway ;). Not only is he bad at lying, I'm worse at writing him as a liar. It just seems too out of character.

acer-sigma: I'm still deciding what will happen when (and if) Vala meets Calliope. Lots of interesting possibilities, there. If it came to a cat fight, we know who would win ;) As for the timeline, we're at the third night going into the morning of the 4th day. The Odyssey is due to arrive sometime on the 5th day unless Sam can work some magic.


	13. Compassion

**Compassion**

Reluctantly, Daniel sat down in the kitchen chair. He stared straight ahead as Calliope secured him in place again, refusing to meet her eyes. When she was done, Marius checked over the knots. Satisfied that Daniel was secured to the chair, Marius stepped back and studied him for a moment.

"I like to get to know my subjects before interrogating them," he began. "Though I have not had a lot of time to study you, I have watched the security tapes of the incident at the museum." He paused and waited for a response.

_And, so, but, therefore?_ Daniel's mouth twitched a little. _Great! I'm channeling Jack._

Marius walked over to the kitchen table and picked up another length of rope. He swung it slowly as he moved back towards Daniel, and then began circling him. "At first, I thought that you were some sort of thief or mercenary." He stopped in front of Daniel, swinging the rope back and forth. "Is that what you are?"

When Daniel didn't answer, Marius slashed the rope across his face, leaving a red welt on his cheek. Daniel glared at him briefly, then looked away.

"After I read the transcripts of your questioning at the prison, and listened to your conversations with Calliope, I changed my mind. If you were a common thief, you wouldn't hesitate to exchange your information for – shall we say – a few comforts."

"No one's offered me anything," Daniel pointed out.

"Would that make a difference? I am in a position to offer you many things. What do you want?"

"To get off of this planet, with the rest of my team. That's all I've ever asked for."

"Ah, yes. You just came to explore, and all you want to do is leave. That option is not on the table. I could, however, offer you a choice of residence, a generous living allowance – access to beautiful women, if you like. You could even have her," he said, waving a hand in Calliope's direction. Calliope looked away, hiding her reaction.

"Once I give you the information you want, you'll have no reason to keep your promises," Daniel responded.

"So you do admit that you have information about a weapons cache?"

"That's the other problem. I don't."

"I don't believe you. So, why do you continue to resist discussing the weapons? You must know that there is no chance that you will be able to retrieve them for yourself." Marius stopped pacing for a moment, and leaned against the kitchen table.

Daniel made no effort to hide his frustration. "I've already answered that question, several times. I don't know the location or nature of this supposed weapons cache, but if I did, I wouldn't give you the means to destroy your own people."

Marius considered this for a moment, and then he gestured to Calliope. "Beautiful, isn't she? You've spent a lot of time with her. I'll bet you've even grown to like her, a bit." Marius suddenly stepped behind her, and whipped the rope around her neck. Calliope's hands grasped at the rope as he pulled it tight, panic on her face.

_It's a trick_, Daniel told himself. _Stay calm. They're in this together._

Marius' expression was oddly detached. "You want to save lives. So, how do you feel about watching her die?" he said as her face reddened. She might have been trying to scream or cry for help, but all that came out were guttural gasps.

Daniel looked into Calliope's terror-filled face. Tears ran down her cheeks. Deep scratches marred her neck. In her frantic efforts to get her fingers between the rope and her throat, she had drawn her own blood. _Please, let it be a trick_.

"Tell me what I want to know, and I'll stop," Marius said.

Suddenly, Calliope's legs gave out and she sagged almost to the floor. Marius used the rope to jerk her back up. She struggled with renewed effort, her feet flopping against the floor in a ghastly parody of dance.

"Tell me what I want to know!"

Feeling like he was trapped in a nightmare, Daniel watched as Calliope's eyes closed. Her hands released their grip on the rope and fell to her sides. Her feet stopped moving. Daniel found himself pulling against the ropes holding him to the chair.

It would be over in a matter of seconds.

"Stop!" Daniel choked out. "Please ... stop."

"Why did your team come to the museum?"

"We're just explorers..."

"That is the wrong answer."

"We ... were hoping to find a weapons cache." Daniel closed his eyes in defeat. His words seemed to hang in the air.

Marius let go of the rope, allowing Calliope to sag to the floor. Then he grasping her under the arms, he pulled her limp form up into a chair facing Daniel. Then he tied her tightly in place. A smile played around his lips. "I knew she'd be useful."

Daniel was nauseated. "She was helping you. How can you do this to her?"

Marius stroked the hair of Calliope's bowed head with false affection. "For the greater good, of course. I only seek to preserve and enrich our way of life," he said. "Are you surprised to know that she is one of the most hated people in Gallia Nova?"

"Why?"

"She's a collaborator: a freedman hoping to earn full citizenship by assisting the security forces against her own people. A few have, you know." He sneered. "They take Roman names to hide their true identities. But they are still slave filth. No one will care what I do to her," Marius continued. "If she dies, no one will mourn her, with the possible exception of you, even knowing what she's done to you. And it is in your hands to save her."

Marius turned his attention from Daniel to the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen. He searched through them for several minutes, finding an assortment of knives and other kitchen implements. He arranged these on the kitchen table, making sure that Daniel got a good look at them.

"Now," he said, "why don't you tell me what you know before Calliope wakes up, and we can spare her a lot of pain."

Daniel had plenty of experience with the hatred that humans could have for each other. Yet it still left him astonished, because he refused to surrender his belief in the basic goodness of people. Daniel reached out to Marius, despite his evident cruelty, hoping that he was still capable of compassion.

"Look at her. She's a human being, just like you. She trusted you. She doesn't deserve this."

Marius regarded her with disgust. "You speak as though she were my equal. She is not. She is a descendant of filthy slaves, less than human, a blight on our world. Our society can advance only by ridding itself of less-evolved beings like her -- not just slaves, but all those weak-minded enough to be deluded by religion." Marius examined the knives, picking up a particularly large one and checking the sharpness of its edge.

"But her father --"

"Polluted himself by having a child with a freedman." Marius put the knife back down and walked slowly toward Daniel. "But that's all the answers I will give you. Now it is time for you to start giving me answers." Without warning, he shifted his grip on the handgun and swung it toward Daniel, striking him hard across the cheek. The blow exacerbated Daniel's already pounding headache, making the room seem to lurch back and forth like a ship in a storm. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to control a sudden wave of nausea.

"Open your eyes," Marius demanded, then followed with a fist to Daniel's midsection, just below the ropes around his chest. The combined blows left him gasping for breath. When Daniel's eyes didn't immediately open, he stepped behind Daniel and slammed the gun down on his injured shoulder. The pain overwhelmed Daniel, and he lost the battle with his stomach. Leaning over as far as the ropes would allow, he coughed up the small amount of water in his stomach. When he was done, he sagged forward in the chair, gasping for breath.

"Now, where is this weapons cache?"

"I told you ... I don't ... know." His face contorted in pain.

"You came here without any idea of where it would be? You were just going to search the entire planet? How did you even know it was here?"

"A...a tablet. We found ... a tablet with ... writing on it." Behind Marius, Daniel saw Calliope's eyes flutter open.

"What kind of writing?"

"Alien language ... had to translate it."

"Where is this tablet now?"

Daniel's breathing began to settle. "We left it at home."

"Well, that was a mistake. If you had it here, perhaps it would lead you to the cache." Marius started to turn toward Calliope.

"There might be one here," Daniel offered, trying to draw him away from her.

"An alien tablet? With information about the weapons cache? Of course, that makes sense! You came here looking for information that would lead you to the weapons! You're not just the team's negotiator -- you're their translator!" His eyes were triumphant. "And where would this tablet be?"

Daniel thought for a moment. He could guess where such a tablet would be, if it existed. Sending Marius to look for it would give them time -- time for his team to rescue him; time for the Odyssey to arrive, if it was coming at all. If by some miracle Marius did find the tablet, there would be almost no chance that he could read it. If he brought it back, Daniel could always mistranslate it to buy more time. Marius wouldn't know the difference, he hoped.

"The museum. It would be in the museum."

"What would it look like?"

Daniel described the appearance of the Ancient tablets he'd examined, and even drew a small example of Ancient writing for Marius.

"Just so we understand one another: I am going to the museum to look for this tablet. If I find it, and you can translate it, then I will permit both of you to live. If not, you will die when I return." He started to leave, but then turned back to the table. He scooped up the knives, and then put them up in a cabinet far out of their reach.

"Wouldn't want you escaping!" he said with false cheer. Daniel held his breath for a moment, releasing it only when he heard the front door open, then close. Every moment that Marius was gone increased their chances of surviving.

Outside, a gentle gleam along the horizon signaled that dawn was coming. It would be the team's fourth day on Gallia Nova.

* * *

Just as the sun began to creep over the horizon, Marius arrived at the museum. The soldiers guarding it recognized him at once, and allowed him inside. He strode through the main exhibition hall, giving its artifacts a cursory glance, and then headed down the wing that led to the Stargate. He explored all around its base, and then examined the symbols on the ring. He remembered that the box containing the alien power source had been removed to the weapons lab -- which he planned to search next if his efforts in the museum were fruitless.

Next, he entered Cicero's small lab. It was in disarray, having been thoroughly searched by soldiers looking for evidence of his collusion with the rebels. Marius spent a couple of tedious hours digging through drawers and checking shelves. Then, his eyes spotted something in the far corner that to the untrained eye, looked like a bit of rubble. Marius knelt down and quickly arranged the broken bits of rock. Together, they formed a small tablet with writing on both sides. The long, thin strokes were exactly as Daniel had described. Hands trembling with excitement, he drew a cloth from his pocket, and wrapped it around the fragments. Then he got to his feet, and quickly made his way to the front entrance.

"Sir, what are you carrying?"

"An artifact for the investigation. I am taking it to the weapons research facility under authorization from the Viceroy himself."

"Haven't you heard? The facility has been locked down. It was raided last night by the rebels."

Marius hesitated. What should he say now? As he stood there in genuine shock at the rebel's audacity, he heard his name being called. He looked to see another soldier hurrying up the steps.

"Councilor Marius! Gaius Marius!"

"Yes?"

"I have a message from Chief Negotiator Quartus. Your presence is required by the Federal Security Council, immediately."

Marius exhaled, the only outward sign of the intense frustration he felt. Every moment of delay reduced his chances of being the one to find the alien weapons cache. But he couldn't ignore the explicit summons, especially since it had been delivered in person.

"Of course," he responded with a curt nod. He followed the soldier back to his vehicle, his expression placid, but inwardly seething.

* * *

By the time Marius arrived at the expansive conference room, the meeting of the Security Council had begun without him. The assembled councilors were engaged in intense debate about the proper response to the escalation in the rebellion.

Lourdes was on his feet. "It's full-scale civil war. We must respond in force!"

"Our resources are limited," Quartus replied, grimly. "We cannot properly control the interment camp, maintain the roadblocks, protect our vital interests, and go after the rioters at the same time."

"Well, we can't free up our forces by lifting the curfew. The result would be utter chaos!" Jannes shouted.

"Chaos is what we have now! There are reports that the freemen are burning citizens out of their homes!"

Quartus nodded. "Yes, it's true. My sources report that it's worst in the mixed communities - neighbor fighting neighbor."

Marius turned as group of men came in the door behind him. "Hail, Viceroy!"

At once, the argument around the table ended. "Hail, Viceroy!" the Councilors intoned as one. Those who were sitting rose to their feet in acknowledgment of their leader.

Pinarius strode to the front of the room, where he took the seat of honor. He gestured for the others to sit, as well.

"Honored Viceroy," Quartus began, "we are pleased at your presence in this difficult hour."

"I'm sure you are," the Viceroy replied, calmly. "It seems that you have spread your forces too thin, Quartus."

Quartus was speechless. _At your orders!_ he thought. But to voice his thought would be both disrespectful and perilous. Instead, he nodded humbly. "What is your will, honored Viceroy?"

"I have just come from a meeting of the Chancellors. Extraordinary times call for an bold response, and they have risen to the occasion. They have endorsed a historic proposal, one that will assure the survival of our ancient and glorious culture."

He turned to Quartus. "First, all citizens who do not renounce the Circle of Heaven are to be stripped of their citizenship. As traitors, their possessions are forfeit to the state. Second, it is of utmost importance that the rioting and looting be stopped, before any more damage is done or the lives of citizens lost. Therefore, you are to immediately recall all soldiers assigned to duty at the interment camp, and use them to put down the rebellion. You have complete authorization to detain and execute anyone taking up arms against the state, without warrant or trial."

"What of the people in the camp? They are mostly women, children, and the elderly, and so pose little threat to us, but I would prefer to keep them secure. Their captivity may provide us leverage over the rebels."

The Viceroy sneered. "Little threat, you say? Their mere existence is a threat to our society. It is time that we take the action that our ancestors should have taken, generations ago. Wipe the slaves out. Leave their bodies to rot under the sun."

There was a long moment of stunned silence in the room.

"The Chancellors ... approved of this?" Quartus asked.

The Viceroy raised his eyebrows. "You dare question me?"

"No, honored Viceroy. Your will is mine to do."

Marius jumped to his feet. "Hail, Viceroy!" he shouted. Like obedient soldiers, the other councilors stood and shouted their approval. Marius glanced over at Quartus, noting that he remained silent.

Satisfied with the support of his top officers, the Viceroy rose and swept out of the room. After he was gone, there was another silence.

Quartus stood and addressed the assembled councilors. "You have your orders. Each of you is to look to his assigned district, and develop a plan that will crush whatever unrest occurs there. I will handle the internment camp myself. You are dismissed." He turned and left the room quickly.

_He won't do it,_ Marius thought to himself. He had been Quartus' protege and confidant for long enough to know that the Chief Negotiator could never carry out such a plan. Quartus was tough, disciplined, and loyal, but he was no murderer of women and children. He deeply believed in the highest ideals of Roman society. And when he defied the Viceroy, Quartus would be labeled a traitor. He and his family would be jailed, and possibly executed. As his closest associate, Marius would share his fate, unless he could prove his own value to the Viceroy.

With a new sense of urgency, Marius hurried out of the building. His interrogation of Daniel had been a secret plan to increase his standing in the eyes of the Viceroy, positioning himself to take Quartus' place as the head of the Federal Security Council. But now, his life depended on finding the alien weapons cache. Marius felt fortunate that the prison guard who had found Daniel in the rubble of the prison had contacted him first, and looked the other way when he'd transferred the unconscious prisoner to his personal vehicle. That small bit of luck provided his best hope for surviving the crisis engulfing Gallia Nova.

* * *

"Hey, T, you're looking better!" Cam said brightly, as Teal'c walked into the dining hall.

Teal'c nodded to Cam, a subdued smile on his face. "I am fully recovered, thanks to you."

"Now all we gotta do is find Daniel," Cam replied. He glanced around the room. "I wonder if Alcaeus has learned anything that can help us?"

"I heard that he's been out all night," Vala said, bounding up to the two men. "There was a lot of fighting, you know."

Together, the three sat down to a late breakfast of fruit and bread. Teal'c listened patiently to Cam and Vala's retelling of the previous night's raid. He was grateful for the risk they took for him, and impressed with the recovery of most of their gear. But after a while, silence settled over the group, as their thoughts turned to their missing team member. It had been two nights since Cam and Teal'c had last seen him, just before the explosion that destroyed the corridor between them. None of them wanted to consider the possibility that he'd been killed in the attack on the prison. Daniel must have survived. But he would have contacted them, if at all possible. What had happened to him?

Their silence was broken by the arrival of Alcaeus. The burly man was covered in a sheen of sweat, dirt, and smoke. He stopped at a bowl by the door, and splashed water over his face and neck. Then he joined Cam, Teal'c and Vala at their low table. A young woman hurried over and deposited a plate of food and a hot drink in front of him.

"How's it going?" Cam asked.

Alcaeus turned to him. "Beyond my dreams, Colonel Mitchell. I am overjoyed to have lived to see this day. The people have risen against the Viceroy."

_That doesn't sound too good, _Cam thought. "Uh...really?"

"After our coordinated attacks, freedmen throughout the city took up arms. They are exacting their revenge on those who have oppressed them. The city is on fire!" Despite the exhaustion evident on his face, his eyes were shining.

"I can understand the desire of your people for freedom," Cam said carefully, "but burning down their own city isn't the way to achieve it."

"Our society will arise anew from the ashes of the old. Destruction is necessary to purge our world of the evil perpetrated by the Viceroy and his chancellors. Besides, the unrest works in our favor. The forces of the Viceroy are not able to protect all areas at once."

"That sounds good until it means that innocent people are getting killed. It's going to happen if you allow your people to keep rioting."

"Innocent people have already been killed. Our attack on the internment camp resulted on high casualties on both sides, and yet we were unable to free the women and children held prisoner there. Why should the children of the citizens sleep in safety while ours are exposed to such danger?"

Cam raised his voice. "Because they're children! And when this is over, they're going to have to share this world with your children!" Around the room, conversation halted as all eyes turned toward the head table.

Alcaeus waved his hands angrily. "What would you have me do? We must fight if our children are to survive! In all these years, we have accomplished very little by striking only at the soldiers. The citizens must all be made to suffer before they will agree to share power with us. It is easy for you to say, 'spare the innocents,' because this is not your world. You still think that you will escape through the Circle, do you not? Or that your friends will rescue you? You say that they will help us negotiate with the Viceroy. But what if they never come? What if you were trapped here for the rest of your life? Would you not feel differently?"

Cam thought about that for a moment. What if the Odyssey never came? There was little chance that SG-1 alone could force the Viceroy to accept a peaceful settlement. Without outside help, fighting was the only option for Alcaeus and his rebels.

"Our friends will come," Teal'c said, with great dignity. "Of that, I have no doubt. They will help you achieve justice on this world, if it is within their power. As I have told you before, they helped my own people in our struggle for freedom. But allowing needless deaths serves no one's purpose."

Alcaeus sighed, and looked down, deep in thought. Then he met the Jaffa's eyes. "I will do what I can to prevent, as you say, needless deaths." He turned to a rebel standing nearby. "Pass the word to all our commanders: strike at the Council's soldiers wherever you find them. But protect civilians as best you can, both citizen and freedmen."

"Thank you," Cam said. "I'll be sure to tell my superiors about this. It will help your cause, I promise."

A young rebel dashed up to the table, knelt, and whispered in the rebel leader's ear. Alcaeus listened for a moment, then turned to Cam.

"Well, it seems that we may have news of your missing team member."

Vala's heart thumped loudly in her chest.

"Gaius Marius, a member of the Federal Security Council, was seen at the musem this morning. We have word that he searched Cicero's office, and then left for a council meeting. This same man was also spotted leaving the prison shortly after our attack."

"He must be holding Daniel!" Vala nearly shouted, feeling both hopeful and concerned.

Cam winced. "Searching the museum probably means he forced Daniel to tell him something." He laid a hand on Vala's shoulder. "You know he wouldn't have said anything without ... a lot of ... persuading."

Vala paled at the remark.

"Our informant reports that Marius was heading towards a mixed district on the outskirts of the city," Alcaeus added. "It is one we know well. The government has a house there which they use to spy on our activities."

"Mixed neighborhood?"

"One where poor citizens live side-by-side with wealthier freedmen." Alcaeus frowned. "There has been a lot of trouble in that district -- some of the worst fighting between civilians on both sides. If he is there, it will not be easy to rescue your friend."

"We love a challenge," Cam said, with a touch of bravado.

Alcaeus clapped a hand on Cam's shoulder. "I would do no less, if it were my friend in the hands of the enemy! I will send a team to assist you," he offered. "Capturing or killing such a high-ranking official would, as you say, serve my purpose."

Cam grasped Alcaeus' free hand. "I am grateful for your help. You're a good man, Alcaeus."

* * *

A/N: An extra-long chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it!

HappyBear 2005: Glad you liked the chapter - thanks for taking the time to review.

Enajnitram: Things will get better for Daniel -- eventually. I can't say for sure how many chapters, partly because I don't want to spoil the story, and partly because I'm working from an outline, so the exact number of chapters may fluctuate. But I do promise that help is coming his way, and soon!

Ashaman92: Glad you liked Continuum - I did too, but know that feelings are running hot on both sides of that issue. It's a treat to have readers from all over the globe. I have to confess to a small panic attack when I saw that I had readers from France. Hopefully I won't make any mistakes in writing about French history!

HAZMOT: Thanks for staying with the story! I hope you liked this chapter, even though Daniel's still having a hard time.

Stargate Fan: Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter!

BkWurm1: This isn't the first time SG-1 has started a civil war :). It would be interesting to see how the IOA responds to this situation. They are so political. But in general, the SGC seems less concerned about affecting alien cultures than the commanders in Star Trek. In his defense, Cam could point out that the rebellion was well underway when they showed up. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

Yasona Black: Thanks for reviewing - sorry that the previous chapter frustrated you, though. Hopefully this one left you happy and satisfied :)

Blessington: Thanks for staying with the story! I appreciate your faithful reviews.

acer-sigma: I always enjoy reading your reviews! I'm really glad you liked the chapter so much, and hope that you enjoyed this one, too. Till next time!


	14. Conflagration

**Conflagration**

The young soldier frowned at the static coming through his radio. "I'm sorry, sir, he's still not responding."

"Well, we can wait no longer. Let's go," Quartus said, gesturing in the direction of his vehicle.

The soldier slid behind the wheel of the sleek government vehicle. Quartus joined his wife, daughter, her husband, and two young grandsons in the back, while his personal secretary rode up front.

"Were you able to contact Marius?" his wife asked, her eyes concerned. Though others found the man ambitious and demanding, he had always treated her graciously. Over time, she had grown to regard him as a member of the family.

"No," Quartus sighed. "Why did he he rush out of the council building like that? I don't know whether something has happened to him, or if he's plotting against me." He brought one hand up to rub his forehead. "He heard the order from the Viceroy. Surely he'd know that I would want to discuss it with him." His wife said nothing in reply, but drew close to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

Quartus fell into a despondent silence as the car made its way slowly to the edge of the city. The drive seemed interminable, as they negotiated their way through the debris of a night of rioting. Smoke poured from burned-out buildings; glass and trash littered the streets. Occasionally they would pass a cluster of dead bodies. Quartus' daughter drew her sons close, wrapping her arms around them to shield them from the sight.

"Sir, there's a barricade ahead of us," the driver warned. "It appears to be manned by rebels."

"Regulars or irregulars?" Quartus asked.

"How would I tell, sir?"

"Regulars would be wearing yellow scarves."

"Then, regulars, sir."

Quartus leaned forward, putting his hand on the driver's shoulder. "Thank you, Lucius. You and Appius are free to go. You don't have to join me in this."

Appius spoke up. "We don't want to leave you, sir." He slipped off his helmet, revealing the graying hair beneath. "I've been with you a long time, seen a lot of things with you. I'd like to see you through this, too, with your permission."

Outside the car, the rebel lookout had spotted them. He signaled, and was quickly joined by several other rebels. The small group came around the barricade and approached the vehicle cautiously, their weapons ready.

Quartus opened the door slowly and eased out, hands first.

"Don't fire!" he called. "We're surrendering!"

The lead rebel came a few steps closer. Quartus knew the exact moment the man recognized him, from the look of stunned disbelief that swept over his face.

"Please, don't fire," he repeated. "I have an urgent message for Alcaeus."

* * *

As morning passed into afternoon, Daniel began to hope that Marius had run into trouble and wouldn't come back at all. While that might be good, he and Calliope were going die of thirst unless they could escape. Already Daniel's lips and tongue were dry. The headache that had abated in the morning was pounding once again. Despite his efforts to get free, all he'd accomplished was to scoot the chair a few feet across the floor. But he had no real hope of reaching the knives in the cabinet. The ropes around his chest had been his main focus. Unfortunately, they were extremely tight. He'd been able to stretch them a bit, shifting them higher on his chest, but further progress was impossible. His efforts were thwarted both by his shoulder injury and the chair back, which widened slightly from bottom to top. His arms had been rubbed raw by the effort.

He struggled against the ropes one more time, putting all his strength into it for several long minutes. Then he stopped, panting with exhaustion. He rested his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. He wondered what would happen if he just tried calling for help. He didn't know anything about the neighborhood they were in, but perhaps someone would come in and find them. More likely – they'd just call the police, and bring Marius back that much faster. It was an option, if he couldn't get free in the next several hours. He could survive another day or so like this, but Calliope would not.

He opened his eyes and looked over at her. She was conscious but unable to speak, her throat swollen and bruised from Marius' attack. Her breathing was raspy and grew increasingly labored as the afternoon wore on. He had tried talking to her a little, partly to comfort and encourage her, and partly to learn as much as he could about his captor. For a while she had responded by nodding her head slightly. She had confirmed that Marius was the one who had brought him here from the prison, and that he was a high-ranking official in the government. She didn't know if if Marius had taken Daniel on his own or at the government's behest. But now her eyes were glassy and unfocused, and she no longer responded to his questions. Daniel closed his eyes again. This would be a really good time for his team to show up and save him.

Dully, he became aware that a hand shaking was shaking his good shoulder. He woke with a start. He didn't remember falling asleep. Looking up, he was disappointed to see Marius regarding him with a menacing gleam in his eyes.

"You seem to be well-rested," Marius said. "Good. You should be ready to get to work."

Marius placed a bundle down on the table, opening it to reveal several stone fragments. Working carefully, he arranged them to form a tablet, then pulled the table in front of Daniel. The archeologist's eyes widened in surprise. He needed only a glance to confirm that the writing was Ancient.

"What does it say?"

_Got to stall for time._ Daniel frowned at Marius. "This is going to be extremely difficult to translate without reference materials. I don't suppose you found any at the museum?"

Marius' eyes darkened. "If you can't translate these, then you are of no further use to me."

Daniel raised his cuffed hands defensively as far as the ropes would allow. "I didn't say that I couldn't do it, just that it would be difficult. I could work faster if you'd let me handle the fragments, and give me something to write with."

"You can tell me what needs to be done."

"That will take much longer than if you'd just --"

"Then you'd better get started." Marius glanced at the afternoon sunlight pouring in through the window. "You have until sundown," he said casually, as he slipped his gun from his jacket, and pushed it against Daniel's forehead. "Then you die."

"Right. I'll get started." Daniel released a long, slow breath as Marius put the gun back in his jacket. If Marius was working outside official channels, once he'd gotten his "translation," Daniel was probably dead anyway. So was Calliope, unless her choking was part of an elaborate ruse. He sent a silent plea to his team. _Guys, hurry up! _

He forced himself to focus the tablet. The writing was composed of simple, common words that he knew by sight. He translated it almost instantly._ Only the path of wisdom leads to lasting treasure._ Like most Ancient writings he'd found, it was not particularly obvious or useful. The writing on the other side would probably be no more helpful in finding the Ancient cache – assuming it even existed. He thought it unlikely they would find weapons there. At best, it was probably another repository. A ZPM would be nice.

He had to give Marius something. He skimmed over slightly blurry markings on the tablet a second time, wishing for his glasses. He had no idea of the local topography. Were there mountains? Plains? A mistake in his false translation would reveal that he'd lied. Then, an idea occurred to him. Any human habitation would need a water source.

"Well, ahh, this character here refers to water. It's repeated several times, indicating that water is an important part of the location. Is there a large body of water around here – an ocean or a lake?"

"There is a lake south of the city," Marius acknowledged.

Daniel permitted himself a small sigh of relief. "This character could mean still water or moving water. What about a river?"

"There are two rivers – the city is built between them. These rivers join at the lake, and then flow south as one."

This was good. Daniel could definitely work with the clues Marius was providing. He glanced at the window. Sunset. He could make his "translation" work take that long. But speaking of water ... he glanced over at Calliope. Her eyes were open, but had taken on a glazed expression, and her breathing was strained.

"She needs some water. We both do."

Marius regarded her for a moment, then went to the sink and filled a cup with water. Unwilling to release Daniel's hands, he held the cup up to Daniel's lips. The water was lukewarm, but still felt wonderful to his parched mouth and throat. Then Marius held the cup while Calliope drank. Her expression relaxed slightly, and her breathing seemed to ease a little.

"So, you see, I am not without mercy. Finish the translation, and you may both live."

* * *

The rebel stronghold had erupted in near-chaos when word arrived of the planned massacre at the internment camp. Nearly every man had a family member or friend held there. While a handful retained doubts about the veracity of Quartus, most accepted his warning as truthful, since he had turned himself over to them along with his family.

Now the stronghold was full of activity as the rebels planned a full-scale assault on the camp. Their attempt the previous night had been repelled. Their only hope of a successful second attempt was in numbers: almost every man or woman who could handle a gun would be involved. Regretfully, Alcaeus had pulled several men from the team assigned to help Cam, Teal'c and Vala rescue Daniel. Still, the team continued preparations for their own rescue effort. They'd find Daniel even if it was just the three of them doing the looking.

Vala hurried into the dining hall, looking for Cam. She'd just learned that Alcaeus had located a vehicle for them to use. She scanned the hall. It was filled with at least two hundred rebels, all fiddling with various weapons. To her surprise, she spotted Gaiana and her husband among them. Gaiana knelt on the floor, repeatedly loading and unloading a weapon. Her long hair was pulled back, and she had draped a yellow scarf around her neck. Satisfied with her work, the young woman glanced up and met Vala's eyes.

"Vala!" Gaiana waved. "It is good to see you!"

"It is good to see you, too, Gaiana," Vala replied, walking over to her. She nodded a greeting to Demetrius. "But I must admit, I'm surprised to see you preparing for the attack on the camp. I thought you weren't rebels."

Gaiana set her weapon down gingerly, and rose to her feet. "We're still not rebels," she answered, dropping her voice to avoid being overheard. "As Christians, we don't believe in fighting our enemies, but in loving them. We would not fight even to save our own lives. It is not a position which made us popular with either the government or the rebels. Both despised us."

"So what changed your mind?"

"This is not about our own lives," Gaiana replied gently, indicating her husband and herself. "This is about the lives of the defenseless people in the camp. I would not fight to save myself – but to save another is not forbidden. Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for another."

"I understand your desire to help," Vala said. "But have you ever fired a gun? Been in a battle?" Her eyebrows wrinkled in concern. "I just don't want my efforts in saving you to go to waste."

"But Vala, you are my inspiration! After what you did to rescue my family, how could I not do the same for another?" Gaiana leaned forward and surprised Vala with a quick hug. Then she looked earnestly at her. "Don't be afraid for me. God will watch over me, and if I die, I will be with him."

"Perhaps you're ready to die. But are you ready to kill?"

Gaiana studied the floor for a moment. Then she looked into Vala's eyes. "I am going to aid the wounded, and reload weapons for the men. I hope I don't have to kill anyone. I'm not sure I could do it. But neither can I sit here and do nothing."

Vala clasped Gaiana's hands in a last effort to dissuade her. "What about your children?"

"There are children in the camp. If not for you, Chrysanthe and Nikolaos would be there now. I must go. Don't be afraid," she repeated, with a gentle squeeze of Vala's hands. "I have prayed that you will find your friend safely, and that we will all be back together here at this time tomorrow.

* * *

The light was fading at the kitchen window. Daniel let his head droop slightly, his exhaustion only slightly exaggerated.

"Yes, I'm sure that's the meaning of the last two symbols," he said softly. "He who would receive the reward must prove himself worthy by solving the ancient puzzle."

"What does that mean?"

"Just what it says. When you get to the location of the weapons cache, there will be a puzzle to solve. Or, more likely, a series of puzzles. Usually they're tests of intelligence, character – general worthiness to posses the weapons. If you are unsuccessful at any of them, the defenses will ... activate."

"What type of defenses?"

"Oh, collapsing rooms, apparitions with swords, fire-breathing monsters, that sort of thing."

Marius glowered. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"I've seen these sorts of challenges before. And you'll need me to solve them. The puzzles will be in the same language as the tablet."

"How convenient for you. Nevertheless, I can kill you as easily there as I can here, if I find that you are lying." Marius glanced out the window. "The rebels have set up numerous barricades throughout the city. We'll wait for complete darkness, then we'll go."

* * *

Lourdes approached the Viceroy's gleaming desk with trepidation. This was only the second time he had even been in the impressive office, and he was bringing bad news. He noticed that several aides had gathered around a smaller table in a corner of the room, evidently discussing strategy.

"Honored Viceroy," he began, struggling to keep his voice steady. "We have been unable to locate Negotiator Quartus, and he is not responding to our efforts to contact him."

"He has betrayed us," Pinarius growled. Across the room, the aides fell silent. They sat motionless, but looked anxiously in Lourdes' direction. "It is times like these which reveal true loyalties, and Quartus has proven himself false," the Viceroy added, rising from his seat, his eyes smoldering. Lourdes took an involuntary step backward.

Pinarius noticed immediately. "Do not be afraid, my anger is not with you," he said smoothly, "but with those who would betray us to the enemy. I know that you are loyal," he added, moving around the desk and putting a hand on Lourdes' shoulder.

"I am elevating you to the head of the Security Council. You will take Quartus' place immediately. Inform your commanders that Quartus and his family are to be apprehended and executed. I charge you with carrying out the wishes of the Chancellors regarding the disposition of the internment camp. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Viceroy."

* * *

Marius was standing by the kitchen window, looking out thoughtfully. It was now pitch dark outside, but he had not turned on any lights inside the house.

"Time to go," he said suddenly, turning to Daniel. He stepped over to one of the cabinets, and pulled out a long knife. Quickly, he cut the ropes securing Daniel to the chair, leaving the handcuffs in place. Then, as Calliope had done on the previous night, he stepped back and pointed his gun at Daniel.

"Get up," he said curtly.

Daniel leaned forward, and then pushed himself to his feet. It took him a few seconds to straighten up after being constrained to sit for so long. _I won't be able to sit in a hard chair for weeks,_ he thought ruefully. Then he took a couple of hesitant steps.

Marius stepped behind him. "Faster. Get to the front door, now."

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked. Marius said nothing, but shoved him in the back with the gun. The action brought back a memory of something Jack had said once, while training Daniel in survival skills. Quickly, Daniel started working on an escape plan.

Marius still hadn't answered his question. "What about Calliope?" Daniel asked.

"She stays here. If we retrieve the weapons cache, then she goes free. Not before."

Marius unlocked and then opened the front door. He peered out into the darkness. Without warning, several shots were fired from outside, striking the door and wall behind him. There was a noise of glass breaking as more shots came in through the front window. Daniel threw himself onto the floor, then rolled, trying to get out of the line of fire. Marius cursed and slammed the door.

Who was outside? Daniel didn't think it was his team – they wouldn't shoot into a house like that, without warning, especially if they thought he was inside. Who was it, then? Rebels? Soldiers?

Marius scrambled over to the window, keeping low. He used the barrel of his gun to break out the remaining glass, and then fired several blind shots. There was silence for a moment, and then both men heard glass breaking in the kitchen.

Daniel struggled to his feet, and then staggered back to the kitchen. A cloth-wrapped rock lay on the floor in a rapidly-expanding puddle of burning liquid not far from Calliope's feet. Daniel ducked as another one flew through the window. The second firebomb rolled over to the wall. Fire began spreading rapidly up the wall and across the wooden cabinet. Calliope made an urgent choking sound, her eyes wide with panic. Daniel grabbed the knife abandoned by Marius, and began working on the ropes binding her. He heard Marius fire several more shots from the front of the house.

Daniel had just freed one of her hands when Marius stormed back into the kitchen. He grabbed Daniel by the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, then spun him around and pushed him towards the front door.

Daniel struggled as Marius forced him out of the kitchen."You can't leave her there!" Daniel protested. He tried to jerk away from Marius' grip.

"Get moving, now! We've only got a moment before more of them show up." Marius shoved him with the gun again, this time targeting Daniel's injured shoulder. That was the clue for Daniel to put his plan into action.

Thanks to the shove, Daniel knew exactly where the gun was in relation to his body. He clasped his bound hands together and spun quickly away from the gun, and then continued spinning as he brought up the elbow of his good arm. He caught Marius full in the face with it, taking satisfaction in the look of shock in the man's eyes. Marius staggered and went down. Daniel followed with a quick kick to the arm holding the gun, sending it spinning across the floor. Then he threw every pound of his muscular body down on top of the man. Marius grunted in surprise.

Daniel clambered back to his feet. He knew that he should end the fight by kicking the man on the floor, but it went against his nature. Marius took advantage of his hesitation by grabbing one of Daniel's legs and pulling hard, tossing the archaeologist onto his back. Daniel rolled away quickly, ignoring the tearing feeling in his left shoulder. _Where was the gun?_ Heavy black smoke was starting to fill the room, and he blinked tears out of his irritated eyes.

_There it is! _He threw himself forward, grabbed the gun, and flipped over onto his back. Marius was almost on top of him. Daniel lifted the gun and fired twice, quickly. Both bullets caught Marius in the stomach. His eyes widened in shock and pain as he fell forward, landing next to Daniel on the floor. Daniel scrabbled backwards, then got up to his knees. He had to go back and save Calliope.

When he got to the kitchen, the fire had died out on the stone floor, but was streaking up the walls and across the ceiling. He had no chance of putting it out. Calliope was still tied to the chair, struggling to untie the rope holding her left hand to the armrest. Almost blinded by the smoke, Daniel knelt on the floor and felt around until he found the knife. Then he started working on the ropes binding her feet.

The air around him was growing rapidly hotter. Sweat ran down his face, and he blinked tears from his irritated eyes. The ropes were so thick and tight that he was limited to making tiny strokes with the knife. _It's taking too long_ he thought frantically. He'd been holding his breath, but the air whooshed out of his lungs as he reached his limit. Then he inhaled involuntarily, and smoke poured into his throat. He coughed violently. Realizing that he wasn't going to free her in time, Daniel forced himself back to his feet. He grabbed the back of her chair with his good hand, tipped it back so that the chair was on two legs, and started dragging her out of the kitchen.

The darkness and thick smoke made it almost impossible to see where he was going. Without warning, his feet stumbled over Marius' outstretched legs, and he fell to the floor. Calliope came crashing down next to him. Coughing and choking, Daniel struggled to his knees and tried to see through the smoke. He searched frantically for the door, having lost all sense of direction. The fire in the kitchen was spreading to the rest of the house, roaring and popping. _Got to get out, now!_ He grabbed the chair and pulled it a few more feet in what he thought was the right direction. Then he stumbled again and went down. This time, he did not get up.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! Like the previous one, this chapter ran extra long, or I wouldn't leave poor Daniel in such a dangerous situation! Please review kindly – I'll get the next chapter up as quick as I can.

**Review Responses: **Thanks for all the reviews for the previous chapter!

**gioia:** Thanks for the encouragement! Yeah, the Viceroy is pretty evil - I envision him as a cross between Hitler & Saddam Hussein.

**BkWurm1:** after reading your review, I had the Darth Vader song playing in my head, too. LOL!

**Happy Bear2005:** Yeah, I beat on Daniel for another chapter, poor guy. And I made him lie, after I wrote that it would be OOC. I can't keep it up forever, though.

**acer-sigma:** Thanks so much for your faithful reviews. We saw that weakness of Daniel's in Affinity. Just like a bad guy to turn that against him. And you correctly predicted that the government safe house would be targeted! You aren't reading my mind long distance, are you? ;)

**Khentkawes: **another chapter of Daniel-whumping, just for you ;) Thanks for the nice comments about my characterization of Cam. That section almost wrote itself, because _I _could hear him saying those words, too.

**Shannon K:** Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**Stargate Fan: **You're so right about the lengths that desperate people will go. Unfortunately, it gives me lots of source material for this fic.


	15. Reunion

**Reunion**

Cam groaned as the rebel's truck turned on to the street where the government safe house was located. "Please don't tell me that's the house."

The grizzled man driving the truck glanced over at him. "That's it."

Cam slammed his hand down onto the dashboard. "Crap! It can never be easy, can it?"

Vala popped her head into the front. "What is it?" Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the flaming house, surrounded by a disorganized mob. Several of them had buckets of water, but were making no effort to put out the fire. She guessed that their purpose was to keep the fire from spreading to the neighboring houses.

The driver spun the wheel and started to turn the truck around. Cam grabbed him by the shoulder. "What are you doing?

"It's a riot! I'm getting us away from here!"

Cam clutched the driver's shoulder. "Stop the truck!" As soon as the vehicle slowed enough, he jumped out and ran toward the house.

A couple of the rioters stepped in front of him, blocking his way. In the flickering light, their expressions were harsh.

"Where are you going?"

One of them recognized the yellow scarf around his neck. "He's a rebel! Let him through."

Cam's eyes ran through the crowd. There was no sign of Daniel. "Did anyone come out of there?" he shouted, pointing to the flaming structure. The response was some scattered hooting and laughter.

"Nothing but a few gunshots when we first got here," one of the rioters responded. "And no one's come out since the fire started. That Roman's ash by now!" There was a roar of approving laughter.

Vala took a step toward the house, then turned anxious eyes to Cam. "Daniel's in there!"

Cam shook his head. "We don't know that."

"_I_ know that!" she pleaded.

"How?" he asked.

"I just do! I have a sense about these things! He's in there, and he's not coming out if we don't go get him!"

Cam's stomach clenched. Smoke was pouring from every window and around the seams of the front door. It was too dangerous to go in without firefighting gear. They weren't certain Daniel was even inside.

Vala took a few more hesitant steps toward the house, and then started running towards the door.

"Damn!" yelled Cam, and then took off after her, followed closely by Teal'c. He slowed just long enough to snatch a water bucket sitting by an onlooker. Vala had already reached the door. He watched in dread as she grasped the knob, turned it, and then threw open the door – half expecting her to be swallowed by a rush of flames. He was grateful when only smoke poured out. But instead of running inside, Vala froze. As he caught up to her, he saw that Vala's eyes were wide, fixated on the flames billowing across the ceiling.

_She was chained, held on her knees. Death was creeping towards her with suffocating heat. Flames licked at her clothing. Beyond them, she could Daniel pleading for her life. Then she was overcome by liquid agony, rushing up her body, blistering her skin, pouring into her throat, swallowing up her screams. The merciless fire pursued her down into the darkness._

_Consciousness returned suddenly. Her fingers moved. Her lungs drew in air. Daniel held her as she sobbed._

The image of Daniel seemed to break the spell cast by the fire. She took a step forward into the heat and smoke.

"Take this!" Cam yelled over the sound of the fire, handing her his soaking yellow scarf. She wrapped the cloth around her head and over her face, took a deep breath, and plunged inside. Cam dunked another scarf in the bucket and wrapped it around himself. Teal'c did the same, and followed them through the door. Cam gestured to Vala that she should stay low, and together they crept forward, feeling their way with their feet. Not far inside, Vala came to the staircase that led to the second floor. The top of the stairs were fully engulfed in flames. If Daniel was up there, rescue would be impossible.

Then the smoke swirled, and in the area left briefly clear, Vala spotted the outline of a familiar figure. Daniel! He was lying motionless on his side, with his back to her. _Please let him be alive._ "Cam, Teal'c, over here!" she called, her voice muffled by the wrap.

As he followed them, Teal'c stumbled across the still form of another man. He knelt and spread his hand on the man's unmoving chest, then pulled it away, sticky with blood. "This one is dead!" he yelled to Mitchell.

"There's a woman here, tied to a chair!" Cam called back. "You get her, we'll get Daniel!"

Cam clutched Daniel under the arms, while Vala positioned herself between his legs with her hands under his knees. Together they lifted him off the floor and carried him out of the house. They got as far as the street, and then set Daniel down a few feet away from the truck. Cam and Vala collapsed next to him on the ground, coughing out the smoke.

Teal'c followed with Calliope in his arms, still tethered to the chair. A man from the crowd ran forward, and handed him a knife. With this, he cut her loose from the chair, then laid her gently next to Daniel.

"How is she?" Cam choked out.

"She is not breathing," Teal'c replied. Then he knelt down over her, and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. After a few breaths, he was forced to pause for a fit of coughing.

Cam crawled over to him. "You okay?" he asked.

"I am able to continue," Teal'c responded, and returned to breathing for Calliope.

A large man stepped forward from the crowd. "Who are they?" he demanded, with a gesture to Daniel and Calliope.

"You can tell they were prisoners," a woman shouted back, "so no friends of the Roman's."

"I know that one," another voice called out. "She's collaborator! Deserved whatever she got, and more!" There were several angry cries in response to this news. The crowd's ugly mood appeared ready to turn on Cam and his group.

"Anyone can put on a yellow scarf," the first man raged. "Who's to say they're really on our side?"

Suppressing the urge to cough, Cam got to his feet and faced the crowd. His gun was held loosely at his side, pointed at the ground. Whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the sudden collapse of the roof of the house. As it fell into the structure, the fire leapt up, heat surging outward in a wave. The crowd was forced to draw back.

Recovering a bit, Vala knelt next to Daniel. She laid a hand on his chest, feeling a stab of joy as a slight movement confirmed he was alive. Then she cupped the side of his face, and turned his head toward her. She winced at the angry bruise on his cheek. His hands were cuffed in front of him, his wrists rubbed raw. She shook her head ruefully. _Oh, Daniel_. _I'm going to have to teach you how to escape from bindings._ She noticed an odd little hitch to his breathing. Unwrapping the still damp scarf from her head, she used a corner to wipe the sweat and streaks of soot off his face. His breath hitched again; then ceased.

"Cam!" Vala called out in panic. Fighting panic, she titled Daniel's head back and started rescue breathing.

Cam backed up to her, keeping his eyes on the crowd and his gun ready. "I thought he was breathing when we picked him up!"

"He was," she said between breaths, "he just – stopped!"

Cautiously, Cam went down on one knee. Using his free hand, he felt at Daniel's shackled wrist for a pulse -- without taking his eyes off the crowd.

"Got a pulse." _Which is good,_ Cam thought, _because I don't know what will happen if I have to put the gun down to do compressions._

Vala finished a series of breaths, then turned her head and coughed violently. When the cough subsided, she bent down and listened to Daniel's chest. He still wasn't breathing. Desperately, she started another series of breaths. She glanced over at Teal'c, and saw that he was continuing to work on Calliope.

A large man moved menacingly toward Cam. "Give her to us," he said, gesturing to Calliope. "We don't know who he is, so you can take him. He looks as good as dead, anyway. But we're going to deal with her."

Cam had no idea who the woman was, and whether she was guilty of anything – but he suspected that she'd be killed if he handed her over to the crowd. He sensed the circle tightening around them. In a few seconds, they'd be cut off from the truck: their only avenue of escape. He glanced up at the stars, and sent a silent plea for help.

* * *

Sam hurried into the control room of the Odyssey. "Are we there?" she asked.

From the commander's chair, Colonel Davidson smiled at her. "I think the correct phrasing is, 'are we there _yet_?' And yes, we're there. We're about to drop out of hyperspace. I thought you'd like to be on the bridge when we do."

She nodded gratefully. A few minutes later, a beautiful blue-green planet appeared in field of stars on the forward viewscreen. "Looks like Earth," she said softly, her eyes widening slightly.

"A lot of them do," Davidson answered. "Still never gets old." Then he turned to Major Marks at the port console. "High orbit," he directed. "Start scanning for the locaters."

"Yes, sir!"

Unconsciously, Sam held her breath as the planet swirled beneath them. There was always a chance that SG-1 had been taken off the planet, in which case, the locaters would do no good.

"Got a signal," Marks announced, then amended, "no, _four _signals, close together." Sam released the breath she'd been holding, though her relief wouldn't be complete until they were safe on the ship.

"Beam them directly to the bridge," Davidson ordered.

On the planet below, the large man had pulled a knife, and was advancing on Cam. Bringing his gun up, Cam tried to warn him off.

"You may get me, but there's about twenty others here that'll get you," the man threatened. "She's not worth it. Back away."

"No can do," Cam said calmly. If necessary, he planned to take down the leader, hoping it would encourage the others to withdraw. Without warning, he felt the surge of energy that accompanied the Odyssey's beam. One hand formed into a fist, and punched toward the sky. "Ye--"

The crowd stood in shocked silence as a white glow surrounded the small group of "rebels," and then disappeared along with them. All eyes turned to the remaining two rebels at the truck.

The driver searched for words that would dissuade them from attacking. "My friends," he yelled to the crowd, holding his hands out, defensively. "You have seen a miracle. These people that you saw vanish, they are allies, come to us through the Circle of Heaven. When they arrived, the soldiers at the museum mistook them for us!"

The crowd murmured in disbelief.

"They've said all along that more would come and help us! The others must be here now!" the driver added, desperately, backing towards the truck.

"Why should we believe this child's tale?" shouted the man with the knife.

"Because you just saw it with your own eyes!" the driver responded. "Now go, and tell everyone you know. You've got to get the word out before the Viceroy can stop you!"

"What word?" called a woman.

"That allies have come to us through the Circle of Heaven, and with them, we will crush the Viceroy's army!"

"Looks like they've gone, to me," muttered the large man. But as he pondered what to do next, the sound of sirens cut through the night. In moments, the crowd dispersed, and the rebels drove away into the darkness.

* * *

"--essss!" Cam's shout of triumph finished as he materialized in the bridge. "Great timing, guys!" He glanced around to see that everyone else had made it. Vala was kneeling on the floor, still breathing for Daniel. Not far away, Teal'c was performing CPR on Calliope, who had been swept up in the beam by their physical contact. Relief combined with weariness washed over Cam, and he sank down into the nearest available chair.

"Med team to the bridge! Multiple casualties!" Davidson ordered, seeing several people down. Sam hurried to Cam's side.

"Are you okay?" she asked urgently, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Check on Vala and Daniel."

One look at Vala's pale face told Sam all that she needed to know -- the woman was about to pass out. "I'll take over," Sam said as she knelt on the other side of Daniel. Too exhausted to speak, Vala nodded, and then sat down, leaning on a bulkhead for support as Sam took over the rescue breathing.

The med team arrived a few moments later in a rush of gurneys. "Smoke inhalation," one medic announced after a quick examination of Daniel. Another medic positioned a ventilation bag over Daniel's face and began pumping it. They lifted him to a gurney with practiced efficiency and set off for the infirmary. Vala trailed behind, her face strained with worry and exhaustion. A second team bundled Calliope onto a stretcher and followed them out.

"Colonel," Davidson said, gesturing to Cam. "Come with me. I need to find out what happened on that planet." Then he turned to Marks. "Major, have Reynolds and Altman report to the briefing room."

Cam started to answer, but was shaken by a fit of coughing. The remaining medic put a hand on Cam's arm.

"He'll come as soon as we've checked him out in the infirmary, sir." His eyes turned to Teal'c. "We should really check them all out."

"All right," Davidson replied. "We'll be waiting for you in the briefing room, Colonel."

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Cam and Teal'c entered the Odyssey's briefing room, having changed into BDU's from the clothes they'd worn on Gallia Nova. Sam was waiting for them, along with Davidson, Altman and Reynolds.

"I'd really like to give you the blow-by-blow, sir" Cam said as he walked in, "but there's a situation on that planet. An army down there is about to wipe out a bunch of helpless women and children."

Davidson leaned forward. "Why?"

"Genocide, plain and simple. They were born into the wrong group, and the government is going for the 'final solution,' if you know what I mean. They put these people in an internment camp and now they're going to slaughter them."

Davidson shook his head slightly. "Our mission was to retrieve SG-1, not get involved in the internal affairs of another planet. I'll have to request orders from the SGC."

Cam slammed his hands down on the table. "By the time you get a response, it'll be too late!" Calming himself, he added, "it may be too late already -- sir."

"SG-3 and 5 are ready to go," Reynolds put in.

"Not to mention three-fifths of SG-1," Sam added.

"You know the rules of engagement as well as I do," Davidson replied, forcefully. We're allowed to intervene to save lives threatened by known enemies of humanity, including the Goa'uld and the Ori. But in all other cases, we must have orders. That's to prevent us making mistakes like Euronda."

Cam groaned in frustration. "There's got to be something we can do!"

"Not if it involves shooting people that aren't at war with us," Davidson said. "Besides, I don't like the idea of sending 10 or 11 people against an army, even if they are the SGC's best."

Cam's eyes brightened as an idea popped into his head. "What if it didn't involve shooting?"

* * *

Vala sat in a chair by Daniel's bedside, watching him struggle to breathe underneath the oxygen mask. Though his eyelids fluttered occasionally, he had not yet regained consciousness.

She turned anxious eyes to the doctor. "What's wrong with him? He was breathing all right when we got him out of the fire."

"He's suffering from smoke inhalation," the doctor said gently. "In fires, more people die from smoke inhalation than burns."

"Not Ori fires," Vala replied. "People in those burn to death."

The doctor ignored the comment, and continued with her diagnosis. "He has signs of thermal injury to the upper airway," she paused, then explained, "That's an injury from breathing fire-heated air. It can lead to edema, airway obstruction, and respiratory distress."

"Is that why his breathing is so noisy?" Vala asked, reaching out to smooth his ruffled hair.

"Precisely. So, we've got his head tilted back to keep his airway open, he's breathing humidified oxygen, we're suctioning him regularly, and we've put him on albuterol to reduce the swelling. I don't think we're going to have to intubate, but we'll keep him under close watch just in case."

"He'll be all right?"

"We should know soon," the doctor said, patting Vala's shoulder. "If complications are going to develop, it'll be in the next 18 to 24 hours." The doctor sighed. "I don't want to upset you, but he did have other injuries. There's a shoulder separation that appears to be several days old, and contusions on his head and shoulders. We've bandaged the abrasions on his wrists and arms, but we also found a series of needle marks. We're running a tox screen now to see what they might have put in his system."

Vala gripped the edge of the bed. A sudden desire to strangle whoever had held Daniel washed over her. After a moment, she regained control of her voice.

"What about the woman who was brought in with him?" she asked with effort.

The doctor's brows furrowed. "I'm sorry," she replied. "The woman was dead on arrival. She had a previous strangulation injury, which, when combined with the smoke inhalation, was too much for her. Did you know her?"

Vala shook her head.

"Will you be all right here for a moment? That tox screen should be ready, and I want to take a look at it. I'll be back shortly."

Vala nodded mutely. After the doctor left, she wondered again about what had happened in the days Daniel had been missing. Vala felt a prick of jealously as she thought of the woman found with him; then immediately chastised herself. What did it matter? The poor woman was dead. Nevertheless, she felt a lingering irritation, like a stone in her shoe.

She stroked his arm, avoiding the bandages around his wrists and just above his elbows. "Darling, when you wake up, we're going to have a lot to talk about."

* * *

"You're sure that the shields will stop missiles, bullets, things like that?" Cam asked.

"They're not like the Goa'uld personal shields," Sam replied with a small smile. "We should be all right, as long as their level of technology is roughly equivalent to Earth's."

They were standing on the bridge of the Odyssey, watching as the ship sliced into the atmosphere of Gallia Nova. It was night on this side of the planet, and far below them, the lights of the main city were twinkling like a beacon. A slight vibration ran through the ship, the only indication of the massive friction building up outside.

"We're heading to the point on the south side of the city." Cam said to Marks. "Are you picking up any unusual readings?"

"Sensors are indicating numerous small hot spots in that area," Marks said. "Could be small-arms fire."

"That's our goal, then," Cam replied. He gripped the back of a nearby console chair. Now that they were actually doing this, his plan seemed not only a bit crazy, but eerily reminiscent of the disastrous attempt to intervene on Tegalus. _No Ori weapons here,_ he reminded himself.

"Turn on all external lights," Davidson ordered. "Let's make our entrance as spectacular as possible."

As the ship descended over the interment camp, Davidson turned to Marks. "Direct a set of lights at the ground, and maintain an altitude of about 500 feet. Let's see what's going on down there." The viewscreen shifted to show several groups of people huddled on the ground. Not far away, uniformed men were scattering, dropping their weapons as they ran. A few other men were waving yellow scarves in the direction of the ship.

"I'm not picking up any more fire from the ground," Marks reported after several anxious minutes.

"Any sign of SAMs or enemy aircraft?" Davidson asked.

Marks shook his head. "Negative."

"Well, if they had something to send, they'd have done it by now," Davidson replied. "Okay, Mitchell. Blue Squadron has a go."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for all the positive response to the previous chapter, even with its evil cliffhanger!

**Review Responses**

CuteLioness: Thank you so much for the nice review! I'm very glad you weren't too put off by the story summary. I understand - I'm more a fan of canon stories than A/U myself (though there's some great AU out there).

Khentkawes: In the original episode, Quartus was willing to let the team go despite orders to capture them, so he couldn't have been all bad. I pegged him as the loyal soldier who would follow orders but would draw the line at mass murder.

Happybear 2005: Daniel's finally rescued - is it okay now? :)

rockfan: Wow! Thanks for the nice comments. You're already doing something to make you a better writer – you're reading. There are many great fanfic writers (some who could probably be making money with their writing). Check out some of the favorites on my profile page. "Desperate Endeavor" by Redbyrd is one if my favorite short stories. It's part of a series. You can find it at /redbyrd/desperateendeavor.htm.

Enajnitram & Shannon K: Hope you both like the conclusion to the cliffhanger!

acer-sigma: Your suggestion about Vala teaching Daniel to escape from bindings was just too good. I hope you don't mind that I worked it into this chapter.

Yasona Black: Thanks for the encouragement!

Blessington: You're welcome :) Glad you're continuing to enjoy the story. Yes, Daniel's made it out at last.

HAZMOT: I just couldn't let the Viceroy capture Daniel after all he'd been through. :)

BkWurm1: great comments! An even greater irony – if Daniel had kicked Marius, he might not have had to shoot him. The fire would have gotten him anyway, though.

Stargate Fan: good point about cleaner air on the floor!


	16. Healing, Part 1

**Healing, Part 1  
**

Daniel's first awareness was of soreness in his throat. _Feels like strep,_ he thought, struggling to break through the haze that surrounded him. But as he become more aware, the pain swelled, until it felt like his throat and nostrils were burning.

Burning . . . fire . . . the house was on fire! He had to get out! His eyes flew open in panic. To his surprise, he found himself in a bed. His eyes roamed the room, quickly recognizing the familiar equipment of an infirmary. A head flowing with dark hair was lying on his stomach, the face turned away from him. He reached out trembling fingers to touch it, barely noticing the IV line taped to the back of his hand. _Vala_, he thought, in stunned disbelief. At his touch, she stirred; then sat up and turned to face him. Her anxious eyes met his; then a dazzling smile spread across her face.

"Daniel, you're awake!"

Her smile faded when he didn't respond. Though he gave her a weak grin, his forehead was deeply furrowed in pain.

"Are you all right?"

He tried to answer, but the effort to speak caused a stabbing sensation to tear through his throat. Eyes watering, he shook his head slightly.

"Can you speak?"

He shook his head again.

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to get the doctor." She slipped out of the door, returning a few moments later with a woman dressed in scrubs and a white coat.

"Hi, Daniel," the woman said in a gentle tone. I'm Doctor Reed. I've been taking care of you since you were rescued from the planet. You're in the infirmary of the Odyssey."

Despite the pain in his throat and a throbbing headache, relief surged through Daniel. The weight of the previous days lifted from him with the realization that he and Vala were safe. But what of the others? He pointed at himself, then at Vala, and finally made a questioning motion.

Vala guessed his meaning. "Cam and Teal'c are safe, too. They'll be glad to know that you're awake, sleepyhead."

"Your throat is probably hurting pretty badly right now, isn't it?" the doctor asked. After he nodded, she continued. "The lining of your airways was damaged by hot gasses associated with the fire. We've given you medicine to combat the swelling. We're going to have to keep you for observation, but you should be fine. We couldn't give you anything for the pain while you were still unconscious and we were waiting for the results of the tox screen. We needed to know what those people injected you with before we gave you any more medicine."

"What _did_ they give him?" Vala interrupted.

"We found trace amounts of both depressants and stimulants," the doctor answered. Turning to Daniel, she continued. "The good news is that they seem to metabolize quickly, and it should be safe for you to have something for the pain now. Would you like that?"

Daniel's eyes widened slightly at the thought of an injection. Yes, he wanted the pain to stop, but he dreaded the thought of more needles.

Vala noticed the subtle reaction, and slipped her hand into his. "It'll be all right. Just something for the pain. No one's going to ask you any questions that you can't answer."

He relaxed slightly; then turned his head and nodded to the doctor. Still, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of anxiety as she pulled a syringe out of her coat pocket. But instead of injecting it into his arm, she inserted the syringe into his IV. As he waited for relief, Vala kept him company, squeezing his hand occasionally to distract him from the pain. A few minutes later, the searing sensation in his throat began to dull. Though he'd just awoken, he felt sleep overcoming him again.

As the weight of his eyelids forced them down against his will, he felt Vala lean over him. Her loose hair flowed down to rest on either side of his face as she pressed her lips gently against his forehead. The tenderness surprised him, accustomed as he was to her aggressive style. But there was something else, too – something that puzzled him. As he sank into sleep, he realized what it was.

Her hair smelled like smoke.

* * *

The F-302s of Blue Squadron completed another low pass over the city. As they roared over the city center, Cam rolled his craft to the left and glanced down. The streetlights below revealed groups of people scattering in fear. It was impossible to tell if they were soldiers, regular rebels, or rioters. Pockets of the city were completely dark except for the occasional burning building.

"That's it boys, let's go home," Cam called through his radio. "Bet we made quite an impression on the locals."

He heard a snort in response "Bet we did," another pilot responded. "A least a few of those guys must have wet their pants when they saw us fly over."

"Woo hoo! We're the big bad aliens from outer space," responded a third. "It's like, the War of the Worlds!"

"I hope not," Cam interjected. "There are some good people down there." As he completed a wide turn, the Odyssey came into view in the distance. Its lights were shining like a beacon in the darkness, guiding the F-302s home without the need of instruments. He found himself looking forward to a few days off when they got back to Earth.

Not long after returning to the Odyssey, Cam strode onto the bridge. He found Sam engrossed in one of the stations along the wall.

"What'cha doing?"

"I'm trying to tap into their broadcast feed," she replied, not taking her eyes off of the screen. "I've just finished calibrating our monitors to receive their signal. Here, take a look!" He noticed a faint grin on her face as she slid back, giving him room to see the monitor.

"Hey, that's us!"

"Yes, it appears to be their equivalent of a news broadcast. Davidson thought it would be useful if we could transmit a message using their own equipment."

"Hello, we come in peace?"

She smiled again. "Something like that. I should have it in just a little bit. Their signal doesn't appear to be very different from our own television signal, but even a slight variation could cause noise or image distortion on their receivers."

"Sam, if anyone can do it --"

"Thanks, Cam," she replied in her nice way that implied _and now leave me alone to do it. _He took the hint.

* * *

"Viceroy," the young aide stammered from the doorway to the lavish bedroom, "there's something you should see."

"What is it?" Pinarius growled.

The aide moved quickly to a cabinet, opening it to reveal a large screen. He switched it on. An image appeared of an announcer, who appeared to be positioned outdoors near the edge of the city. Just over the announcer's shoulder, a large craft hovered in the sky, glowing brightly from dozens of lights.

"It suddenly appeared over the internment camp a short while ago, sir," the aide explained.

Pinarius threw back his bedcovers and got to his feet. "Just the one?"

"According to reports, several smaller ones came out from the large one, and have been flying over the city. They haven't landed or – or attacked sir. They've just been flying around."

The Viceroy's eyes glittered in anger. "End that transmission, _now_! Recall the Chancellors and the Security Council. I will meet with them within the hour." He paused a moment; then added, "And have that announcer taken into custody." The young aide bowed speechlessly and hurried toward the door.

After he was left alone, the Viceroy looked at his hands. He was disconcerted to see that they were trembling. As undisputed master of the world, he had never been afraid. It was others who trembled before him. He crushed his hands together to stop the annoying motion.

The aliens had not attacked yet. It was possible they did not have the means to do so, though he thought it unlikely, based on the weapons the captured team had carried. Perhaps he could bargain with them. His position was weakened by the escape of their team, but he still might be able to offer something of value. _Free access to search for them_, he thought suddenly. _And a team of my own people to help._ As the plan took shape in his mind, the trembling stopped, and the gleam returned to his eyes. He would turn this near-disaster to his advantage. He would deal with these intruders, crush the rebellion, and rid his world of the filth that had plagued it for generations.

* * *

Assured that Daniel was out of danger and resting comfortably, Vala left the infirmary and headed for the bridge. She had only gotten a few steps when she heard Dr. Reed calling her. She turned around quickly, anxious that something had happened to Daniel.

"Vala, I'm glad I caught you," the doctor began. "We're preparing a team to assist with casualties at the internment camp. I was hoping you'd be willing to help us with your healing device."

Vala shook her head. "I haven't got it. It was in my pack when we were captured. It was one of the things we couldn't find when we recovered the rest of our gear."

"That's too bad. We've already beamed an advance team down, and they report finding a large number of people dead or seriously injured."

"I may not have the healing device, but I still know how to bandage wounds. I'll be glad to help."

Vala geared up quickly. A few minutes later, she joined a group of medics and several other volunteers preparing to beam down to the surface. The lead medic handed her a box of locators.

"The med team on the ground has already started triage," he explained to the group. "They've tagged about fifty victims so far." He studied Vala's face carefully. "Have you been trained in this procedure?"

Vala nodded. Green tags meant the victims were mobile and could wait several hours for treatment, if necessary. A yellow tag meant the victim could wait for up to an hour, while a red tag indicated a need for immediate attention. A black tag marked a victim who was beyond help: either dead or dying. Black tags would receive no care in a situation with limited resources.

"Good. I want you to put these locators on the red tags. We're going to bring them up to the infirmary."

"How many can it hold?" she asked.

"Just up to eight in the main section," the medic replied, "but we're preparing to treat additional patients in the workout room and corridors. The rest of you will begin stabilizing the red-tagged victims awaiting transport. Once all the red tags have been transported, you'll move on to the yellow tags."

He signaled the technician that they were ready. The white light of the Asgard beam washed over them. When it faded, the small group found themselves near the center of a large meadow. Though it was night, the area was flooded with light, both from several guard towers surrounding the area, and from the Odyssey overhead. The light revealed several hundred people milling about, and about the same number sprawled on the ground.

Vala felt a brief flash of panic at the number of injured. Then she forced herself to concentrate on her job: find a red-tagged victim, attach the locator, signal the Odyssey, find the next one.

Just a few feet away, she spotted the first red tag. It was attached to a young rebel, little more than a boy. He was bleeding heavily from a gaping hole in his thigh, moaning and clutching the ground in agony.

Vala gave him her best smile. "Don't worry, I'm here to help you."

"That's what the last person said. But he just left me here," the young man gasped.

"Well, I'm going to send you up there," she said, pointing to the ship hovering overhead. "There's a nice doctor waiting and I know she'll help you." She quickly attached the locator to his shirt and signaled the Odyssey. When he disappeared in a flash of light, all that was left behind was a large, dark stain on the ground. Vala sighed, and then started looking for the next red tag.

It wasn't long before she had sent almost a dozen red-tagged victims to the Odyssey, among them government soldiers, camp prisoners, rebels, and three children. Still, the field was filled with wounded. Surely they wouldn't be able to help them all? She hurried over to a spot where an SGC medic was working on a small body. He shook his head as she approached.

"This one's gone." It was a child, a little boy no older than eight or nine. The medic affixed a strip of black tape over the red tag, and then moved on. Vala gazed at the motionless child sadly for a moment. Then, with an effort, she resumed her search for red tags.

Suddenly, she recognized Hypatia sitting among a pile of bodies. Fearing the worst, Vala hurried over to the older woman. A green tag was pinned to the front of her dress, but despite the lack of serious injury she was sitting as if in shock, staring into space. Vala's eyes traveled to the bodies lying nearby. One was Demetrius, his eyes open, but glazed over in death. Gaiana lay curled up next to him, her head on his shoulder. She was still awake, but gasping for breath. The front of her dress was covered in blood. Vala's heart sank as she spotted the black triage tag. It was Gaiana's death sentence.

_No_, Vala thought stubbornly. She knelt down and took a locator out of her pack for Gaiana, despite the black tag. The young woman reached up a hand and intercepted her.

"I am not afraid to die," she whispered. "Help those who have a chance."

"I'm going to help you first," Vala insisted, gently placing Gaiana's hand back on the ground. Vala affixed the locator; then retrieved a pressure bandage from her pack.

Gaiana grimaced in pain, but forced herself to speak again. "Vala, it doesn't hurt anymore. My children . . . are safe. Demetrius and I were together before the end, even if just for a little while. When I . . . go to be with him . . . we will never be parted again."

She reached up to touch Vala's face. "Now go, and help the living. For me."

Vala nodded sadly. She removed the locator from Gaiana as the young woman's eyes drifted shut. She breathed a soft sigh, and then stilled. Vala forced herself to her feet, giving a last look to Gaiana's mother. The woman was trapped within her grief. Vala hated to leave her, but Gaiana had been right. She needed to help those who still had a chance to live.

* * *

A/N: The story is about over – just one more chapter. I hope to get it out soon – life has gotten busy with the resumption of school. I appreciate all of the reviews and hope that you'll stay with the story until the end! And if you're from an area affected by Gustav - I'm praying for you!

Review Responses for chapter 15:

BkWurm1: Thanks so much for your comments - always so insightful and encouraging!

enajnitram: Glad you liked it!

HAZMOT: Last minute rescues are an SG-1 specialty -- just think of "Off the Grid." :) Unfortunately, the Viceroy hasn't given up yet. Most dictators don't - seems to me that they usually die in office of old age.

Yasona Black: Thanks for being my 101st reviewer! More DV interaction (with both of them talking, I promise) in the next chapter.

Shannon K: At last, more for you :) I hope you liked this chapter.

HappyBear 2005: Daniel's getting better - he always does, sooner or later.

Stargate Fan: The fate of the healing device is revealed! To be _completely_ honest, I hadn't thought about it, since they use it so infrequently in the show (sort of an Deus ex Machina, like the sarcophagus).


	17. Healing, Part 2

**Healing, Part 2**

Despite the late hour, the building that housed the Federal Security Council was full of activity. Lourdes Maylay stood by one of the tall windows overlooking the city, a dazed expression on his face.

Jannes hurried up to him. "I've got reports from several more quadrants, sir."

"Same as the others?"

Jannes dropped his voice to a whisper. "Unfortunately, yes. Almost the entire Second Legion has followed Quartus and joined the rebellion. About half of the Third has been pinned down by the rioters, and the Fourth suffered heavy losses in the battle at the internment camp. The cohorts that are still capable of fighting have been dispatched to re-engage the rebels, as you directed."

"What of the First Legion?"

"Mostly unaccounted, at the moment. They were responsible for protecting the homes of the Chancellors as well as key sections of the business district. It is rumored that some have simply thrown down their arms and fled at the sight of the alien ships."

"How many defend this building?"

Jannes winced. "About 40 men remain."

"Less than a tenth of the Praetorian cohort? That's all?" Lourdes gripped Jannes' shoulder. "The Viceroy can't know! He'll …" Lourdes stopped abruptly as the other members of the Security Council filed into the room. He squared his shoulders and marched to the head of the table to convene the meeting like a man going to his execution.

In the broadcast center one floor below, the Viceroy was skimming over a hastily-written speech. A young aide hurried up with an anxious expression, clutching the ruler's favorite jacket for such occasions. After slipping the elegant garment over his ruler's shoulders, the aide backed away a few steps, dipping his head in a quick sign of respect. The Viceroy ignored the gesture, turning instead to another assistant busily reading the recording equipment.

"Are you ready?" he demanded.

"Yes, honored Viceroy."

Another aide dashed into the room, followed closely by the hairdresser. "Honored Viceroy, the Security Council and the Chancellors have assembled in their chambers," the aide reported. "They await your presence."

Pinarius waved the hairdresser away and turned to the aide. "Tell them that I will be with them shortly. First, I must address our people."

A few minutes later, the Gaynord transmitters carried a signal from the Viceroy's personal chambers into the homes of Gallia Nova. Where the power hadn't been interrupted by fires or riots, citizens gathered to hear words of comfort from their leader.

"Citizens of Gallia Nova," the Viceroy began, giving the traditional greeting. "I come to you to strengthen your hearts and call on your courage. Do not be dismayed by the strange images you have been seeing on your screens. Even now, your fearless soldiers are preparing to put an end to the violence that has torn our fair city under the stalwart leadership of the Federal Security Council."

Throughout the city, thousands of screens flickered briefly. The imposing image of the tall, dark-haired Viceroy was replaced by a beautiful blonde woman in a military-style uniform.

"Greetings, people of Gallia Nova," she began. A small smile flickered across her otherwise serious face. "My name is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, and I am speaking to you from the bridge of the spaceship Odyssey, currently positioned just outside your city." She pushed a button on the console beside her, switching the display to the exterior cameras so the viewers could fully appreciate the size of their craft. Then she switched the view back to the bridge camera.

"Please don't be alarmed by our presence. We bear you no ill will. We are merely here to retrieve a small group of our people who disappeared while exploring your planet – a planet we believed to be abandoned."

She took a breath, and then continued. "You are not alone in the universe. There are thousands of planets supporting billions of humans throughout this galaxy." She decided to leave off the part about the Pegasus and Ori galaxies for the moment. It was not the time for such explanations.

In the broadcast center, the Viceroy screamed in rage. "Stop it! End the transmission, now!"

His assistant's hands fluttered over the controls, punching buttons and turning knobs. He turned to his leader, fear in his eyes. "Honored Viceroy, I cannot! They have overridden our signal. They must be transmitting directly from that ship!"

On a bank of screens along the wall, the alien woman continued speaking, her calm voice in stark contrast to the panic in the Viceroy's headquarters.

"We are known as the Tauri – the people of the First World," she said. "We call our planet Earth. Many years ago, your people were brought to this planet from ours by another race, called the Goa'uld. We share a common heritage with you. There is much we can teach you about the universe and your own origins; knowledge that we would willingly share. We await the response of your authorities. They may contact us on this frequency." With that, she reached over and pressed the button to end the transmission.

The Viceroy called to a small group of soldiers standing near the door. "Arrest that man!" he ordered, pointing an accusing finger at the broadcast assistant. "He is in league with our enemies."

"Honored Viceroy …" the man protested, uselessly, as the soldiers swarmed towards him. However, the soldiers were distracted by the sound of gunfire in the hall outside the Viceroy's chambers. They quickly reversed course, pulling their weapons to defend their leader as they rushed back to the door.

Running feet could be heard in the hall. The sound of firing weapons rose in a deafening crescendo. With a curse, the Viceroy fled towards a secret staircase at the far end of the broadcast studio. Just as he reached it, the hidden door flew open. The Viceroy's eyes widened in rage as he recognized the broad shoulders and determined expression on the man leading his enemies. It was Alcaeus.

Marcus Pinarius drew himself up to his full height. "You are a fool, Alcaeus. You cannot hope to hold this position. You have condemned yourself and those who follow you to death."

"No, it is you who are the fool, to leave yourself with so little protection," said a deep voice from behind the rebel leader.

"You, too?" Pinarius cried in outrage, recognizing the voice.

"Yes, honored Viceroy," Quartus said calmly as he stepped into the room, with just a touch of sarcasm in his voice. A squad of soldiers followed him into the room and moved to surrounded the Viceroy. "I am placing you under arrest, by the authority of the free people of Gallia Nova."

"I'll see you executed for this!"

Quartus smiled grimly. "You are not currently in a position to make such statements, honored Viceroy." He turned to the men behind him. "Take him into custody."

* * *

As Sam finished her transmission from the bridge, Vala was washing the events of the day away in the shower. Streams of hot, soapy water stripped the smell of smoke from her hair, and the blood of the battlefield from her body. When she finished, she wrapped herself in a thick robe. Not taking the time to dry her soaking hair, she fell into bed, exhausted. Sleep eluded her for a while, as she replayed the scenes of the carnage on the planet. She mourned the loss of innocent lives: Gaiana, Demetrius, and the countless others whose names she didn't know.

_I've seen so much death on so many planets,_ she thought. _But at least Daniel is safe. Cam, Teal'c, and Sam are safe. That's all I can ask for._ Focusing on that thought, she was finally able to relax, and get some much-needed rest.

Several hours later, Vala returned to the infirmary to check on Daniel. She found him much improved: he was sitting up in bed, and the oxygen mask he'd been wearing earlier had been replaced by a nasal cannula. But he was still attached to an I.V., and his face was pale.

She greeted him with a bright smile, "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you."

"Feeling better, too," he replied, trying to match her bright expression. His voice was weak; his throat tissues still swollen from exposure to smoke and hot gasses.

She patted him on his uninjured shoulder; then slipped into the chair by his bed. "You probably shouldn't try to talk too much."

His eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me to shut up?" he croaked.

She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side, as if in thought. "Yes, I am," she replied after a moment. "Shut up, Daniel."

"If you'll answer … one thing for me. How did you get smoke in your hair?

"Rescuing you from the fire, silly. How else would I have gotten smoke in my hair?"

"What about the others in the house?"

A pained expression passed over her face. "They're both dead," she answered. "Teal'c found the man, and he was already gone. We got the woman out of the fire, but she died of smoke inhalation not long after." Vala hesitated. "I'm sorry. It looked like you were trying to save her."

"Thank you for saving me," Daniel said softly, reaching over to take her hand. The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. He found himself ambivalent in response to the deaths of Marius and Calliope. He'd had no choice about shooting Marius: but for that, Daniel himself would probably have died in that house. He felt some sorrow at Calliope's death, despite what she'd done to him. She was at least partly a victim of her society. But she was responsible for the choices which led to her demise. _At least she didn't burn alive_, he thought. Meanwhile, Vala tried not to dwell on the possibility of a relationship between Daniel and the dead woman.

Finally, Daniel spoke again. "We never really talked about … what happened on Ver Egen."

"So why start now?"

"Because, when I was trying to … get out …" he began; then was interrupted by a cough.

She leaned down and put a finger over his lips. "Let me," she said gently. "When you were trying to escape the fire, you couldn't help but remember almost burning to death on the Ori altar with me?"

He nodded, and she smiled sadly at his affirmation. "Of course you did. When Cam, Teal'c and I got to the house where you were being held, and saw the fire, I thought of it, too. Found the whole thing incredibly ironic."

Daniel started to speak, but she shook her finger at him to keep him quiet. "Well, I couldn't just leave you in there!"

"I've had nightmares about it," he replied, ignoring her warning. "About you, about us…"

"Really? Not me!" she asserted with a toss of her head. "Any dreams I've had about us have been good ones."

His eyes narrowed doubtfully.

"All right, so I've had a few nightmares," she confessed. "Sometimes I'm burning to death alone, and sometimes you're there with me. It was an absolutely _unforgettable_ experience."

"Vala…"

She released his hand and jumped to her feet. "Daniel, I really don't want to talk about it!" Her voice softened. "Just don't get yourself into any more fires, please! I hate the smell of smoke! Will you promise me that?"

He managed a small smile. "Promise."

Just then, Dr. Reed bustled into the room. She took a quick look at Daniel's face, and pronounced him overtired and in need of rest. Vala took her cue, slipping out of the room with an assurance that she'd be back later. As she left, it occurred to her that Daniel's last thought before passing out in the fire had been of them together. Not in the best of circumstances, perhaps, but still – he'd thought of her, not some alien woman.

Meanwhile, Daniel settled back onto his pillow, not really wanting to go to sleep again. Instead, his mind replayed his conversation with Vala. Even after the horror of burning to death, and the nightmares that followed, she'd gone into a burning building to save him. She had faced her greatest fear, risked her life, for him. As he contemplated her actions, a thought began to grow and take shape.

_Maybe all the flirting isn't just an act for her amusement. Maybe she really does lo… No!_

His mind rebelled at this line of thought. Even if she did love him, they were so wrong for each other.

* * *

For the third time that night, the people of Gallia Nova gathered in front of their screens to receive a message. This time, Alcaeus stood before them, with Quartus at his side. Together, the two men announced the capture of the Viceroy and Chancellors, and surrender of the remnants of his army. The arrival of visitors from another world signaled the end of the long division between their people. The time for reconciliation and peace had come.

"As the highest ranking officer not under arrest, I order all members of the military to observe an immediate cease-fire," Quartus began. "All operations against regular rebels are to be suspended."

Alcaeus spoke next. "Likewise, all Circle of Heaven fighters are to cease hostilities with the government. Fire only to defend yourselves or to save the innocent. And I call on my people to stop the rioting, looting, and burning. You are destroying your own future! Instead, you should be preparing yourselves for the hard tasks ahead: reconstruction and reconciliation. Only then will this be a night to celebrate!"

One of the Chancellors stepped forward. "Citizens, what you have heard is true. I have seen the Viceroy under arrest for myself. Please, return to your homes. Remain calm. I have received assurances from the rebels that they will take the necessary actions to end the rioting. I assure you that we are now working together to restore peace and security to Gallia Nova."

"To that end," Quartus announced, "there will be a dusk to dawn curfew in all parts of the city, both in citizen's and freedmen's districts. The curfew will be enforced by joint patrols of soldiers and rebels …"

* * *

On the bridge of the Odyssey, Cam and Sam stood side-by-side, watching the latest broadcast from the surface.

"Well, they pulled it off," Sam said.

Cam gestured to the screen. "It wouldn't have been possible without Quartus' knowledge of the secret passages in the building. They probably had the Viceroy before the guards knew what hit them."

"It was a good plan, Cam. Draw attention to us while the rebels and defectors work together to carry out a coup."

"So many things could have gone wrong," he replied.

"But they didn't. Looks like some of that famous SG-1 luck must have rubbed off, for a change."

Cam smiled at her encouragement. It _had_ been a good plan.

* * *

The next day, Daniel was released from the infirmary, just in time to help broker a peace conference in the conference room of the former Federal Security Council. Though the Odyssey had to return to Earth immediately because of the ongoing war against the Ori, SG-1 had received permission to stay for up to a week while the factions on Gallia Nova worked out a power-sharing agreement. Davidson had been frankly astonished that Daniel was willing to stay and help negotiate after the treatment he'd received. But Daniel simply reminded him that those responsible for his treatment were no longer in power.

The conference included Quartus, Alcaeus, and representatives of various ethnic and religious minorities, as well as several members of the ruling council respected by all parties. Four days of intense negotiations produced a draft agreement granting full citizenship to all inhabitants of Gallia Nova. It was agreed that Quartus would lead the military while Alcaeus assumed leadership of the ruling council. The rebel "regulars" would be absorbed into the military. The first new ruling council would consist of appointees from each group; with free elections to be held in the future.

"Now I know how George Washington must have felt," Cam enthused.

"The father of your country?" Teal'c asked. "A worthy man, from what I have read. But I have my doubts about the ability of these people to achieve peace after so many generations of bitterness. There has been much destruction in the city, and the rebuilding will be difficult. No doubt, tensions will arise."

"Yeah," Cam agreed. "That's why it's so important to relocate the Viceroy and his followers. As long as there's a possibility he'll get back in power, this place will be unstable."

"It is fortunate that the Viceroy and those loyal to him have agreed to relocate to another planet."

"It was that or spend the rest of his life in prison. And he doesn't know that we're going give the Gallia Novans the plans for an iris so he can't come back after we're gone, even if he figures out how to operate the 'gate from the other end," Cam replied.

"I am surprised that the IOA agreed to assist in the relocation."

"Me, too. But this is one of the societies we've found that is on a par with Earth, technologically speaking. If it weren't for advances we've made through contact with other races, they would be slightly ahead of us. Sam was totally amazed by their broadcasting system. Beats our high-def TV by a mile. And they've actually agreed to exchange technology with us."

Teal'c raised a single eyebrow. "So all of this has been for a better television picture?"

Cam laughed and gave Teal'c a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Yeah, 'cause you know that football season is just around the corner."

* * *

A few days later, the Viceroy and about a hundred loyal followers assembled in the museum under heavy guard, preparing to leave Gallia Nova. For their destination, the SGC had selected a world recently abandoned by the Goa'uld, with enough surviving infrastructure to support the loyalists as they re-built. A few minutes before the designated departure time, the five members of SG-1 returned to the alcove that housed the Stargate, carrying a naquadah generator and a laptop with a dialing program.

Cam immediately spotted Quartus supervising the Viceroy's guards. The irony of the situation struck him at once. He turned to Daniel, who still wore a sling in support of his injured shoulder. "Now if they'd just let us bring this equipment here the first time, we could have avoided a whole lot of trouble."

"And if he had, that nasty man would still be in charge of this planet," Vala pointed out.

Daniel agreed. "For once, it looks like things might have worked out for the best."

"A refreshing change," Teal'c added.

Just then, Cicero hurried up to the group. With him were two small children, a boy and a girl.

"I'm so glad I got to see you again," he said, breathlessly. "I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for our world."

"Your own people have done most of the hard work: overthrowing the Viceroy and reaching a peace agreement," Daniel replied.

Cicero shook his head insistently. "We couldn't have done it without you!"

Vala's eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the children with Cicero. She bent down and opened her arms to them in an invitation.

"Chrysanthe! Nikolaos!"

They came to her, shyly, recognizing her as the woman they'd met at their mother's apartment. Vala looked up at Cicero in amazement.

"Where did you find them?"

"They were at the rebel headquarters," he replied, "along with several other orphaned children. I have decided to adopt them and raise them as my own."

"What about their grandmother, Hypatia? Is she –"

"She lives. But she is alone. It would be difficult, if not possible, to care for herself and for them. I have offered her a position with me as a housekeeper."

Vala's curiosity was piqued. "Why are you doing this?"

"As I told you earlier, I've spent my life on my own selfish pursuits, and ignored the suffering of the people around me. This is my way of making up for that. I'm dedicating myself to making Gallia Nova a better place for its entire population, starting with these two right here."

"What about your research?" Daniel asked.

"I'm not giving that up," Cicero replied. "Someone has to publish the true history of our planet. Actually, I was hoping you'd help me get started by sharing what you know."

From her position, still kneeling with the children, Vala smiled up at Daniel. "I told you that you'd found a kindred spirit!"

Daniel, of course, was intrigued by Cicero's request. He had learned much of the planet's accepted history during the peace conference, but there were still so many holes. He was puzzled by the variety of Goa'uld artifacts they'd seen in the museum. It was unusual to find equipment from several different system lords on a single planet. But Daniel was most excited at the chance to study a culture descended from Romans who had never been conquered by 'barbarians'.

"I'd like that," Daniel said, finally. "We've got challenges of our own right now, but if things calm down a bit, I'll see if I can come back and help you."

Their conversation was interrupted by Sam, who had finished connecting the dialing equipment.

"We're ready," she said simply, and began programming in the coordinates.

The hall fell silent, and all eyes turned to the majestic ring as it spun, stopping to lock in one chevron before spinning again to the next one. An audible gasp swept through the crowd as the vortex spiraled out towards before receding into the event horizon, a sight familiar only to the members of SG-1.

Cam turned towards the former Viceroy, standing at the head of his followers.

"Time to go," he said with mock cheerfulness.

An ugly sneer twisted across Marcus Pinarius' regal features. "At last I will live in a world free of the descendants of slaves," he said as he mounted the steps leading to the gate.

"How nice for you, especially since the people of this world are likely to kill you if you stick around," Cam retorted.

Pinarius said nothing in response, but merely shot a last glare around the hall behind him before stepping boldly into the event horizon. His followers trailed silently behind him. Cicero waved sadly to his sister, but she responded with an angry stare before following her husband into the unknown.

After the last of them had passed through the gate, Sam dialed it up again. This time, the destination was Earth.

* * *

Exhausted, Daniel headed straight for his quarters after the inevitable examination in the infirmary. He had just settled on the bed when there was a knock at the door. He said nothing, but the door opened anyway. Vala's dark head appeared in the opening.

"Still decent?" she asked, putting on an exaggerated pout when she saw that he was. "Well, I can help you with that," she said, moving towards him.

He put up his good hand in front of him. "No, I've got it."

She adopted a more serious expression. "Actually, darling, you need help. You can't get out of that shirt with your shoulder still in a sling."

Knowing that she was right, he sighed, and ducked his head in submission. Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt. He couldn't help but catch a whiff of her hair, once again unbound and flowing around her shoulders. The fragrance was pleasant, reminding him of flowers instead of smoke. As she moved around to his side, removing the sling so that she could get the shirt off, he couldn't help reacting to her closeness. He tried to focus on anything besides the gentle touch of her hand on his bare shoulder. But there was no denying the power of her presence. He found her intoxicating, both physically and emotionally.

Daniel dreaded falling in love again. It raised the possibility of hurt greater than he could survive. The loss of Sha're had nearly destroyed him: only his all-consuming mission with the SGC had kept him together. On top of that, his feelings for Vala were confused. He understood them about as well as he understood Vala herself. He'd seen her compassionate and caring side underneath her brash exterior, but half the time it seemed that she was just playing him for a fool.

It didn't matter. He realized that he was falling in love with her, anyway. As the door closed softly behind her, he buried his face in his hands.

He was _so_ hooped.

* * *

**A/N:** At long last, the conclusion to _Hooped_. I hope that you've enjoyed the story, and found the conclusion to be satisfying. Thanks so much to those who faithfully read and reviewed! I've appreciated your comments. Please R&R this last chapter and let me know how you liked it! I'll reply to signed reviews individually, since this is the last chapter.

After writing two multi-chapter stories, I've got a one-shot in the works. Until next time, blessings! Sincerely, techtchr.

**Review Responses:**

**Wesfanemt333 – **thanks for your review; glad you found it realistic. I hope you liked the conclusion as well.

**Dur'id the Druid – **thanks for putting this story in your favorites! I'm honored.

**Yasona Black – **hope you liked the ending. Thanks for sticking with the story!

**Rockfan –** I guess I know the characters so well because I've spent too much time watching Stargate, ha!I don't know about posting uncategorized stuff on , but I know that a lot of writers post on livejournal. You might try there. Good luck in your future writing endeavors!

**LiRA – **thanks for all the nice comments! I didn't give Teal'c much to do in this story, but if you like Teal'c fics, you might enjoy my first story, Blood Relatives. It's set in season 8 and is mostly Teal'c and Daniel. My next story will be a one-shot set in season 9 and will feature Cam, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c.

**acer-sigma** – thanks for your faithful reviews. You always notice the small details! I'm glad you liked chapter 16, and hope that you also enjoyed the conclusion. Daniel is mostly better, and Cam had his fun, but the Viceroy never got the chance to put his plans into action.

**Happybear 2005** – the start of school's been crazy. It's a good feeling to have this story done, though. I just hate when I'm reading a story and then find out the author never finished it. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**HAZMOT** – The Viceroy's finally had to face the consequences of his actions, but not before a lot of innocents got hurt. But now Chrysanthe and Nikolaos have a chance for a better life, as do all of the children of the planet. I was going to write a scene were some of the members of SG-1 second-guessed their actions, but I decided that they probably wouldn't at this point in their careers. I think they've finally come to terms with the fact they don't control the outcome – all they can do is their best. Thanks for all of your reviews!

**Khentkawes** – yes, Gallia Nova was pretty messed up. I've tried to make the happy resolution as realistic as possible. Sometimes dictators do get overthrown, sometimes power-sharing agreements are successful. As long as there's life, there's hope, etc. Besides, this is sci-fi, and so we can have happy endings that you don't get in real life. Thanks for your review!

**BkWurm1** - thanks so much for noticing all the details in the story. You're obviously a careful and thoughtful reader, which has encouraged me to be a better writer. Sorry for scaring you about Vala's return to the planet, but finally, all of our heroes are safe and sound. I actually managed to write a chapter without killing anyone off grin! Thanks again for your reviews!


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